Lecturers finally call off strike

The Union Academic Staff Union (UASU) has officially called off their more than two weeks strike.

According to UASU Secretary General, Constantine Wesonga, the union decided to end the industrial action after the National Treasury agreed to implement the 2013-2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by releasing the remaining Ksh 5.2 billion.

UASU together with the Inter-Public Universities Consultative Council Forum have already signed the return-to-work formula which they say will ‘further protect lecturers from future victimization’.

However, the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya has vowed that lecturers will return to the streets if the government fails to pay the money by the end of this month.

“The strike has been called off but if lecturers fail to see the money reflected in our bank accounts by the end of this month, we will call the strike again,” said Mr. Charles.

Public universities downed their tools on July 3^rd, after the government failed to adhere to their demands of releasing the Ksh10 billion at once.

Education Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Fred Matiang’i, had appealed to the dons not to boycott work, saying that the Ministry of Education had already paid out Ksh 4.775 billion of the Ksh 10 billion agreed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) but the lecturers insisted that the agreement was for the money to be released wholesomely.