Do whatever it takes to avert lecturers' strike

Kenya University Staff Union Secretary General Mr Charles Mukhwaya (center) with KUSU governing council members addressing journalists in Nakuru on July 1, 2017. The university lecturers and workers gave the government 48 hours ultimatum to implement the 2013–2017 Sh10 billion Collective Bargaining Agreement signed during negotiations, failure to which they will go on strike. The pay increase negotiated was supposed to cover basic salary, house allowance of all public servants represented by the Unions. Photo/Suleiman Mbatiah/Standard

A nationwide strike by university academic staff and lecturers that starts today flies in the face of Government assurances that it is committed to guaranteeing the welfare of workers. Whereas the Kenyan doctors finally reached an agreement with county governments on the vexatious issue of better pay and working conditions, nurses, sadly, are still on strike, now joined by lecturers.

The trigger of the strikes is Government’s lack of commitment to Comprehensive Bargaining Agreements entered into by both parties on diverse dates.