Light at the end of the tunnel as VCs, unions come closer to signing a deal

By AUGUSTINE ODUOR

Kenya: Normal learning may resume Wednesday morning after university staff and vice chancellors inched closer to signing a deal.

The Standard learnt that a 13-member committee that was tasked with the drafting of an acceptable payment schedule had made good progress by Tuesday evening.

“We had an expanded team with three officials drawn from the Ministry of Labour. From where we sit, we believe that they may agree on a formula,” said Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya.

Mukhwaya said the team was only waiting for the vice chancellors to arrive at the Ministry of Labour offices to complete the exercise.

Education PS Bellio Kipsang had earlier yesterday said that they would impress upon the unions to call off the strike because it was fast becoming a crisis.

“We shall try our best and we shall make sure that we have a deal today (last evening),” Dr Kipsang told the House Education committee at Parliament building.

He said that the VCs who will be found to have misappropriated the money meant to pay staff salaries will take individual responsibility.

The PS made the remarks after MPs pressurised him to explain what action will be taken on VCs who will be found to have misallocated funds meant for staff.

Kusu and Uasu Tuesday said they were ready to return to work as long as the payment schedule yields 33.1 per cent salary increment.

House allowance

The two unions also wanted a payment schedule that will see their members’ house allowance increased by 17 per cent.

This was after the Vice Chancellors admitted to availability of Sh2.2 billion that they said was available to their staff.

 “We can agree and give the universities up to the end of April as we agree on the payment schedule. What we are sure of is that we will not take anything less," Uasu secretary General Muga K’Olale and Mukhwaya said.

Kipsang explained that the meeting yesterday was a culmination of several others held at the weekend and Monday.

“We have had several meetings both at the ministry and at the Ministry of Labour with a view of ending the strike. We may not have succeeded immediately but we hope to end it today (yesterday),” said the PS.

He said the negotiation team had made good progress and noted that what stood between the strike and resumption of classes was a payment schedule.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi explained last week that the lecturers pay dispute had reached the level it is today because the unions and the VCs did not agree on the payment schedules.

Warring factions

“After the salary award, the VCs had their own payment schedule and the unions also came up with their own schedule. This was the start of the dispute,’ he said.

He explained that as a result, the universities management went to court and it was ordered that the two warring factions sit and agree on a payment schedule.

“The unions declined to attend meetings to harmonise the payment schedules and VCs used their pay schedule that also rewarded members who were not factored in the 2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

It emerged that only job groups 1 to 15 were eligible to benefit from the funds yet job group 16 were also paid.  This means VCs, their deputies and principals also got paid contrary to the agreement and this was the start of the troubles, said Prof Kaimenyi.