Court Suspends University Strike, Orders Talks Between Staff and Government
The Employment and Labour Relations Court has put on hold the ongoing nationwide strike by lecturers and public university staff that has disrupted learning for the past two days.
Justice Stephen Radido ordered the strike to be suspended and all parties – university staff, Ministry of Education and other stakeholders – to engage in conciliation talks.
“There is evidence that the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum has reported a trade dispute to the Cabinet Secretary for Labour as required under the Labour Relations Act. Good faith in industrial relations demands that parties engage in genuine conciliation. The court therefore issues an order suspending the ongoing strike pending the conciliation process,” Justice Radido said.
The strike was called by Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU), Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) over unfulfilled Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs). The unions had issued a seven-day strike notice threatening to paralyse learning and operations in all public universities.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga accused the government of not fully implementing the 2017–2021, 2021–2025 and 2025–2029 CBAs. He highlighted arrears of Ksh2.73 billion from the 2021–2025 CBA and Ksh7.9 billion from the 2017–2021 agreement and negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, September 10, Wesonga was frustrated with the government’s delays, saying the union had exhausted all dialogue channels. He accused the Interpublic Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the government of undermining agreements despite extensive talks.
In a bid to avert the strike, the government released the Ksh2.73 billion owed from the 2021–2025 CBA a day before the strike was to begin. However, lecturers and staff from institutions including University of Nairobi, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, University of Eldoret and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology went ahead with the nationwide strike. Images and videos shared on social media showed striking staff marching with banners and blowing vuvuzelas.After the court order, Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba asked the unions to obey the order and call off the strike to allow conciliation to start. The unions are yet to respond and the strike is ongoing in some institutions.
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Court Suspends University Strike, Orders Talks Between Staff and Government