Lecturers end strike as government offers 10% salary hike

A two-week strike by Kenyan academics that paralysed operations across public universities has ended. The breakthrough came after lengthy negotiations on Wednesday 25 September led by Dr Alfred Mutua, the cabinet secretary for labour and social protection.

The resolution brings relief to thousands of students and staff members who had been affected by the industrial action.

The agreement was reached after an intensive day-long meeting at the Ministry of Labour headquarters in the capital of Nairobi.

The talks involved several key stakeholders, including: the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals, and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA).

An inter-ministerial committee played a crucial role in facilitating the negotiations. This committee brought together representatives from various government bodies, including the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and the Ministry of Labour.

Pay rise

The return-to-work formula outlines several key provisions that address the concerns raised by the striking workers. Under the new agreement, university staff will see significant improvements in their compensation and working conditions.

Workers in job grades 13A, 14A, and 15A will benefit from a 7% increase in their basic salary, while those in job grades 10A, 11A, and 12A will enjoy a more substantial 10% increase. Members of KUDHEIHA will also receive a 10% pay rise, marking a notable victory for the union's members.

In addition to these immediate salary increments, the agreement introduces an automatic annual increment of 4% of the basic salary. This increase will be implemented for the two-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) cycle, which runs from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2025, ensuring continued growth in staff remuneration.

Retirement age

The negotiated terms also address the issue of retirement age, bringing about significant changes across different staff categories. For academic staff, including graduate assistants, tutorial fellows, and assistant lecturers, the retirement age will be harmonised and set at 70 years.

Senior lecturers, associate professors, and professors will see their retirement age extended even further to 74 years.

Non-academic staff, including those working in teaching laboratories and university libraries, will have their retirement age standardised at 65 years. These adjustments aim to provide longer career prospects and retain experienced personnel within the university system.

Importantly, the agreement includes a clause protecting workers from any form of retaliation, explicitly stating that no staff members who participated in the strike will face victimisation.

Further talks

The new salary structures are set to be implemented in the October 2024 payroll. To facilitate this, the IPUCCF and the unions were scheduled to meet again on Friday 27 September to work on salary scale simulations for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 financial years.

While the current agreement addresses the immediate concerns that led to the strike, both parties acknowledged that there are still pending issues that require attention.

These include: harmonisation of allowances, improvement of medical cover, internal collective bargaining agreements, enhanced staffing in public universities, budgets for promotions and implementation of car loan and mortgage schemes.

To address these matters, the inter-ministerial committee is scheduled to meet for one month, beginning 1 October 2024.

Averting future strikes

Speaking after the successful negotiations, Mutua noted the government's commitment to preventing future strikes. He stated: “We will work to ensure that strikes are nipped in the bud and that issues raised by employees are addressed in a timely and effective manner.”

The resolution of the strike comes as a relief to students who were concerned about potential disruptions to their academic progress.

With normal operations set to resume immediately, universities can now focus on protecting the academic calendar and ensuring that students can continue their studies without further interruptions.

The settlement comes against the backdrop of widespread unhappiness among students and threats of protests and legal action from student groups over the government’s proposed student loan scheme which they believe complicates access to affordable education for marginalised groups.