Make a counter offer to lecturers; MPs tells Treasury

UASU National Chairman Muga Kolale (far left) KUSU Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya and UASU Sec Gen Dr Constantine Wasonga and other University Union officials addressing the media at UASU's offices Uniafric house, Nairobi. [Photo by Elvis Ogina/Standard]

Learning in public universities could resume next week if the National Treasury and Ministry of Education gives the unions a counter-offer to revive negotiations.

And while the ministry and Treasury were unclear about pension arrears amounting to Sh3.56 billion for the teaching and non-teaching staff, the unions insisted that the 2017-2021 collective bargaining agreement was the most contentious.

The arrears were part of the issues contained in the return-to-work formula signed on December 9, 2017.

“The vice-chancellors’ committee undertakes to immediately follow up to ensure that the outstanding amount of the pension component of Sh1.56 billion and Sh2 billion for the 2010-2013 and 2013-2017 CBA is factored in the financial year 2018-2019 budget,” read part of the agreement.

Yesterday, the National Assembly's Education committee directed the parties to resume negotiations and end the industrial action that has been going on for more than a month now.

Resume learning

The committee chairman and Tinderet MP Julius Melly told officials of the two ministries to give the unions a counter-offer so that students could resume learning while the two sides negotiated.

“The parties should go and negotiate by giving the unions a counter-offer to end the stalemate so that students can resume learning immediately. Students are suffering as no learning is going on,”said Mr Melly.

Treasury officials said a case lodged by university teaching staff on job evaluations was to blame for delays in giving them a counter-offer.