Find out why university workers have shelved their strike for three weeks

University workers have shelved their strike for three weeks to allow the Government to sort out the new salary payment deal.

The University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) has written to the public universities management committee saying it will issue a 21-day strike notice at the end of this month if the new pay is not implemented by then.

"Even though the Sh10 billion was released by the Government to settle arrears for the 2013-2017 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), universities have reverted to paying basic salaries and house allowances at the levels in the previous 2010-2013 CBA," wrote Uasu Secretary General Constantine Wasonga in a letter dated September 11 to the Inter Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum.

"UASU therefore notifies university councils that unless the terms of the 2013-2017 CBA are fully effected in the September 2017 salaries, we shall issue an irrevocable 21-day strike notice on September 30."

He said Uasu was postponing the issuance of a strike notice to grant the university councils a chance to streamline matters with the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury.

If implemented fully, the lowest paid assistant lecturer, currently earning Sh69,794, would move up to Sh82,037. The lowest paid lecturer on Sh83,361 per month is supposed to get Sh97,984.