The recent strike by public university staff in Kenya has come to an end. Workers and the government reached an agreement after a week of protests.
This deal brings relief to students and staff across the country’s public universities.
Pay increases form a major part of the agreement. Staff in higher job grades will see their basic salaries rise by 7%. Those in lower grades will get a 10% bump. The deal also includes yearly pay increases of 4% for the next two years.
The retirement age for university staff has been adjusted:
- Graduate assistants, tutorial fellows, and assistant lecturers can now work until age 70.
- Senior lecturers, associate professors, and professors can stay on until 74.
Other benefits are part of the deal too. The agreement outlines plans for car loans and mortgages for university staff. In the coming month, talks will cover more issues like allowances, health insurance, and job promotions.
University unions and the government signed this deal at the Ministry of Labour. The Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum represented the schools. Worker groups included the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and others.
An inter-ministerial team helped broker the agreement. This group included members from key government departments:
- Ministry of Labour
- Ministry of Education
- National Treasury
- Salaries and Remuneration Commission
The deal aims to solve the dispute fairly. It seeks to get university operations back to normal and protect staff welfare. Both sides have agreed to keep working on remaining issues.
As part of the agreement, striking workers won’t face punishment. The unions are expected to officially end the strike. Classes and other university activities should resume soon.
This deal covers the last two years of the 2021-2025 bargaining cycle (CBA). It starts from July 1, 2023. The parties will meet again on September 27, 2024, to work out more details about pay scales for coming years.
Students can now look forward to getting back to their studies without further delays.