University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has shelved their scheduled January 20 strike for two weeks.
This decision was reached during a meeting with the National Executive Council (NEC) to give time for their petition to be heard and determined by a labour court on February 4, 2020.
UASU had taken to court to push the ministry to obey the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of 2017-2021 which requires the ministry to pay sh8.8 billion. The National Treasury and Ministry of Education are respondents in this case.
The Union also claimed that a court proceeding that could take place while they are on strike could be a disadvantage to them more so since Inter-Public Universities Consultative Forum(IPUCCF), Ministry of Labour and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) teamed up against UASU.
UASU secretary-general Constantine Wesonga told off SRC for failing to disown their mistakes. He also attacked IPUCCF for abandoning the push for CBA despite applying for it at a labour court.
“IPUCCF applied for registration of the CBA. When we went to court they rejected it again. Each member knows what is entitled to them signed by both parties,” Wesonga said.
UASU accused Ministry of Education of selfishly signing a new CBA without their consent but they insisted that they only recognise the CBA signed on October 28, 2019.
"We are surprised that the SRC, Ministry of Education and the vice-chancellors committee had developed a new CBA and signed among themselves,” Wesonga stated.
It accused Magoha of barring CBA registration in a court on January 13. The government was to pay sh16.8 billion but the figure was reduced to sh8.8 billion citing economic hard times in the country.