Lecturers defy court order, insist strike is still on

What you need to know:

  • The Universities Staff Academic Union and Kenya University Staff Union accuse the government of failing to give a counter CBA.
  • Last week, the Employment and Labour Relations court declined to set aside orders declaring the strike illegal.
  • The court ordered the universities to present the 2017-2021 CBA the Labour Cabinet Secretary within 21 days.

Staff in public universities on Monday defied a court order to resume work and insisted the strike is on until counter salary deal is tabled.

The Universities Staff Academic Union (Uasu) and Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) accused the government of failing to give any offers.

'NO GOODWILL'

During a press conference, the two unions said that there is no goodwill from the government and threatened to stage "demonstration of different species" in the next two weeks should their concerns remain unresolved.

Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the union would not engage in any form of renegotiations and insisted that their focus had shifted to the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

"All our members should stay put. We are not going back without a counter proposal. No one has powers to ask lecturers to call off the strike except the union," Dr Wasonga said.

Kusu Secretary-General Charles Mukhwaya said only the University of Nairobi had sought orders to stop the union's members from participating in the strike but they appealed that decision.

“We expresses disappointment with the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the Government over the lack of progress in the talks.

"We are also not aware of any formal communication from Labour Cs Ukur Yatani to initiate talks with IPUCCF and the relevant government ministries and departments with a view to ending the work boycott," he said at the same time demanding sincerity from all parties involved in negotiations to call off the strike.

ILLEGAL

Last week, the Employment and Labour Relations court declined to set aside orders declaring the strike illegal.

The court ordered the universities to present the 2017-2021 CBA the Labour Cabinet Secretary within 21 days.

Lecturers are pushing for the negotiation and signing of the 2017-2021 CBA, which is estimated to cost Sh38 billion.