Lecturers end 76-day strike in compromised deal

UASU officials at a past press conference. They have arrived at a deal with Universities to return to work without any victimisation of their members. [File, Standard]

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has called off the 76-day strike that crippled learning in public university.

The lecturers said they arrived at the decision with Inter-public universities’ councils consultative forum (IPUCCF) for the sake of the students as the Government declined to make an additional counter offer to the earlier 1.75 per cent pay rise.

In the return to work formula, the universities' management shall adjust the semester dates to compensate the learners for their time lost.

The offer from the Government saw some lecturers get as little as Sh53 in salary increments. In the 3.6 billion offer, the highest annual increment is Sh1,000 awarded to the highest paid professor.

If it were to be implemented, at the end of this year alone, the salary of the lowest-paid university staff will rise by a measly Sh53, from Sh12,100 to Sh12,153. By the end of four years, the worker will be earning Sh12,312.

This adjustment will affect members of the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotel, Education Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha).

Kudheiha officials had earlier called off the strike as court cases mounted.

For Kusu workers, the lowest-paid staff will get an additional Sh85 at the end of this year, with their salary rising from the current Sh19,408 to Sh19,493. By the end of the fourth year, the salary will be Sh19,748.

The highest-paid professor will earn an additional Sh1,081 at the end of this year, according to details of the counter-offer tabled by the universities to unions.

For teaching staff, a full professor who is paid Sh248,898 will earn Sh249,979 at the end of this year, with the figure rising to Sh253,253 by the end of the CBA.

More to follow.