Lecturers Hands Gov’t 15-Day Strike Notice Over Salary Arrears
The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has set the government a 15-day deadline beginning today, January 1, 2025, to pay December salaries as well as all arrears from September.
This follows the government’s repeated promises, including a letter from the Ministry of Education, to execute the compensation increases outlined in the 2021-2025 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
If the payments are not fulfilled, UASU intends to strike again on January 15, 2025.
Teachers were surprised to receive their paychecks in December with no increments, despite a clear direction from Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala’s September letter to pay both wages and increments.
University authorities allege they have not received cash from the government to carry out the payments.
Lecturers' strike looms
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 1, 2025
University lecturers give govt a 2 week ultimatum
UASU wants government to effect pay hike
They say government yet to effect the pay hike
Mutio: The next strike won’t be like the previous two#JKLive@TrevorOmbija pic.twitter.com/Pow4tadxjo
They are seeking the resignation of Education CS Julius Ogamba, accusing him of failing to ensure effective implementation. The union warns that the next strike will be harder.
This comes shortly after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Kiambu branch Secretary General Samuel Muiruri expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to renew the cover.
He stated that the medical insurance coverage was previously renewed in November, but that was not the case this year.
Muiruri revealed that the government’s reluctance to renew the covers inconvenienced many teachers since some of them were refused health care despite deductions for the same.
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While urging the government to intervene, the KNUT official claimed that teachers would not return to school next month unless the government heeded their demands.
“This is money that was deducted from teachers’ payslips and the cover was negotiated between the employer and the teachers union. Already we are paying the Social Health Authority cover, we pay for two health insurance schemes,” Muiruri stated.
“This issue is very sensitive and must be taken very seriously, if the money is not remitted by January then the teachers will go to the streets,” he added.
He further claimed that the notification of the upcoming demonstrations to seek medical coverage had already been issued to all KNUT branches across the country.
Lecturers Hands Gov’t 15-Day Strike Notice Over Salary Arrears
