Kenyan lecturers threaten to go on strike,again

david nganga

January 13, 2018 3:51 PM

The strike could see education in universities paralysed for the fourth time in a year

Kenyan university lecturers have threatened to go on strike if talks on the 2017-2021 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) are delayed beyond January.

The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has protested a decision by the Inter-Public Universities’ Consultative Council Forum to push the start of negotiations from January 10 to January 15.

UASU secretary general Constantine Wasonga, in a protest letter to IPUCCF dated January 10, expressed dismay at the council's move warning that it will not be business as usual.

“UASU promotes industrial harmony and it would be extremely unfortunate if actions by IPUCCF provoke a fresh round of industrial unrest from February 2018,” Wasonga said.

The row now threatens to paralyse learning in universities for the fourth time in just under a year with the last strike being witnesssed last November.

A Joint Negotiation Committee of the IPUCCF and UASU met on December 18 last year and agreed to start negotiations on the 2017-2021 CBA from January 10.

The two parties also agreed that Sh3.1 billion will be released in seven months for the 2013-2017 CBA with all pending internal 2013-2017 CBAs for individual universities being concluded by February 28.

Last year, several public universities had to close due to the lecturers’ strike while others rescheduled end of semester examinations.

LECTURERS' STRIKE

david nganga