MPs intervene in lecturers’ pay row, urge varsity unions and ministry to strike deal

National Treasury CS John Mbadi/ FILE

MPs have stepped in to mediate the seven-week lecturers’ strike after dons rejected the government’s offer of a two-phase implementation of the Sh7.9 billion collective bargaining agreement.

The National Assembly’s Education Committee on Tuesday met the unions, Treasury CS John Mbadi and his Education counterpart Julius Ogamba to unlock the standoff between university lecturers and the government.

The government had offered to release Sh7.9 billion to cater for salary increments and allowances for teaching and non-teaching staff in two phases, a deal the unions dismissed as inadequate and contrary to the original agreement signed in 2021.

Mbadi pledged to clear the remaining Sh3.85 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year.

“We have since consulted as a government and offered to pay in two installments,” Mbadi said.

This was, however, flatly rejected by the unions represented by Universities Academic Staff Union secretary general Constantine Wesonga, who insisted on a one-off settlement.

The committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly directed the Ministry of Education and university staff unions to hold urgent talks and find common ground to avert disruption of learning in public universities.

Melly said MPs were concerned that the stalemate has crippled operations in institutions of higher learning.

“We need to have a point of convergence. As a committee, we promise that the first money we want to see is the Sh3.85 billion in the next financial year budget,” Melly said.

After lengthy deliberations, the committee brokered a middle ground, with the unions agreeing to convene and consider the two-phase settlement government offer.

“For the sake of the children and students of this country, we are going to convene the various organs of the unions to consider,” Wesonga told MPs, signalling a softening of the initial hard stance.

“Because of how you— Mr Chairman—and the committee have talked to us, I am going to plead with our members to consider.”

The MPs also turned the heat on the Salaries and Remuneration Commission for misleading the Ministry of Education on the CBA for university lecturers.

Initially, SRC advised the ministry against paying the Sh7.9 billion, saying the outstanding balance was only Sh960 million, arguing the balance had been settled in previous pay increments.

The matter saw the union move to the Labour Court, which ruled against SRC’s advisory.

The lawmakers claimed SRC’s advisory fuelled the strike that has almost paralysed learning in the current semester.

Committee members faulted the commission for “creating confusion” and giving contradictory guidelines that have derailed negotiations, urging SRC to clarify how the funds were allocated and why the lecturers’ pay deal was staggered.

Melly said the committee will have a session with the commission to explain the mess.

“This commission has caused unnecessary tension and confusion in the universities. That is why we want to bring them here to explain why they wanted to undermine the government,” Melly said.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

Learning in universities has been paralysed for seven weeks, with lecturers demanding full settlement of their Sh7.9 billion unpaid in the 2017/2021 collective bargaining agreement. The unions are currently negotiating the 2025/2029 CBA.