Varsity staff unions reject Migos claim of strike deal
University staff unions yesterday poured cold water on claims by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos that a consensus had been reached on key issues in the ongoing strike and collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.
This comes after the public universities and colleges downed their tools over a dispute surrounding the 2021-25 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The disputed claims were made by Mr Migos during his address at the 71st graduation ceremony at the University of Nairobi.
The Cabinet Secretary announced that agreements had been made on salary increments, retirement age harmonisation, and other benefits for university staff.
In his statement, Mr Migos claimed that the State and the unions had agreed to a seven percent basic salary increment for staff in specific grades, changes in annual leave terms, and stablishment of a national implementation committee to oversee the rollout of the CBA.
He also added that a 3.5 per cent salary increment had been proposed for all staff grades across the board.
“Through negotiations with academic staff unions and the Kenya University Staff Union, we have reached consensus on several items, including harmonisation of the retirement age, a seven per cent basic salary increment for staff in our grades, annual leave adjustments, and the establishment of a national implementation committee to monitor the rollout of the CBAs,” said Mr Migos.
“I therefore ask the university staff to leave their strike and return to work as we engage in these amicable negotiations. Addressing this dispute through meaningful dialogue will ensure that education and training of our students is not disrupted,” the Education Cabinet Secretary said.
However, the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), led by Secretary-General Constantine Opiyo Wasonga, strongly refuted these claims, questioning the validity of the negotiations Mr Migos referred to.
“Does he even understand the process of negotiating a CBA? Who has he agreed with? He cannot purport to write a letter and claim there is an agreement. How much has he allocated for mortgage benefits, and which bank will operate this? Where exactly have we agreed?” Dr Wasonga challenged Mr Migos, describing his statements as misleading.
Dr Wasonga further pointed out discrepancies in the salary increment proposal. According to him, while a seven percent increment was indeed agreed upon for senior lecturers — aligning with the government’s recent offer to public service employees — the union is pushing for a 10 per cent rise for lower-income earners, a demand that has not yet been met.
“The seven per cent increment is what we agreed upon for senior lecturers, as the government gave other public service employees a seven to 10 per cent increase. However, for the lower-income earners, we want 10 per cent. They are still talking about 3.5 per cent, which we have not agreed to,” Dr Wasonga said.
The Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) secretary General Charles Mukhwaya also raised concerns, questioning why the CBA had not been signed if an agreement had been reached.
He criticised the government’s prolonged consultations with various agencies, noting that after four years of delays, it is unreasonable to claim that a consensus has been reached.
“If there is indeed an agreement as the Cabinet Secretary claims, then why have we not signed the CBA? For four years, the vice-chancellors have been saying they need more time to consult with government agencies. How is it possible that the CS can now claim there’s a consensus when we haven’t even been presented with a new offer?” asked Mr Mukwaya.
“We have not been reached with any new offer or proposal. If they have something, let them bring it forward, and we will sign the document. As of now, there is no consensus whatsoever,” he stressed.
Mr Mukhwaya also rejected the notion of staff returning to work while negotiations remain incomplete, stressing the need for a structured return-to-work formula, which has yet to be negotiated. He emphasized that there must be a structured, negotiated return-to-work formula before any resumption of duties.
“We are not at a point where we can go back to class. The CS is new; he may not know the procedures that need to be followed. We cannot just go back like that,” said Mr Mukhwaya.
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