Learning to be paralysed as lecturers begin third strike this year

Learning in public universities is set to be paralysed from Wednesday (November 1) as lecturers embark on a strike, which will be the third this year, over failure by the government to implement the 2013/2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) secretary-general Constantine Wasonga said the strike will be launched at the University of Nairobi grounds Wednesday morning.

Dr. Wasonga asked all lecturers at the 31 public universities to keep off the institutions until the government addresses their demands for increased pay.

“There is no turning back unless the government implements the new rates for both basic salary and house allowance. It is time to strike, strike and strike,” Dr Wasonga said.

The strike comes after the expiry of a 21-day notice the lecturers had issued in October.

In the notice, they said that the Ministry of Education had failed to provide any communication regarding the funds they are demanding.

The CBA was signed in March this year ending a 54-day strike that began on January 19 this year. The government released Sh10 billion for the payment of arrears in June but reverted to the old salaries after citing lack of funds.

That is the money the teaching staff now want sent to their bank accounts.

Learning in public universities has been greatly affected this year considering the institutions have twice been forced to close due to the August 8 election and the recent repeat October 26 presidential election.

Most learning institutions were scheduled to resume learning this week after the short break taken before the election.