Lecturers’ strike paralyzes learning in all public universities

Learning in all 35 public universities may grind to a halt in a week’s time following the collapse of negotiations between the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) over the 2021–2025 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

As a result, Uasu is expected to issue a 7-day strike notice on Wednesday. Sources within the union indicated that the parties had failed to reach an agreement despite the talks being facilitated by a conciliator. The notice will be issued by the national officials led by the secretary-general, Constatine Wasonga.

This will be the second strike notice by Uasu in just over a month after the union called its members to withdraw labour on August 6 2024 in universities that have been facing various problems.

Their grievances include delayed salaries, failure to pay their full salaries and remit statutory deductions and third-party deductions, including loans, insurance premiums, and pension contributions.

It has also been established that learning has already stalled in some universities after lecturers downed tools to press on the implementation of the 2021–2025 (CBA).

The strike, which began two weeks ago, has mainly affected first year students since continuing students only started reporting last week.