The government and the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) have agreed to form a multisectoral team to review the issues that caused lecturers to strike.
In a statement issued by Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua on Wednesday, September 25, the team was tasked with finding solutions to some of the complaints raised by the lecturers over the non-implementation of the CBA.
The team will include representatives from the Ministries of Labour, Education, Treasury, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), public universities, the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC), and representatives of the unions.
Mutua urged the team to fastrack its mandate so that the lecturers could call off their strike.
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He explained that many students had been affected by the strike, a situation he indicated was not pleasing to the government.
"We cannot allow these matters to fester and disrupt the education of thousands of students. My ministry is committed to fairness and balance in negotiations, and it is crucial that once Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) are signed, they are honoured. If challenges arise, workers must be informed in a timely and transparent manner.
"The unions are seeking resolutions on salary increments and allowances, alongside other issues outlined in the CBA. The inter-ministerial committee will commence discussions tomorrow, and we will work diligently until we reach a resolution," he stated.
Meanwhile, the lecturer's union maintained that they would still not go back to class until some of their demands were met.
The lecturers downed their tools last week and have been holding demonstrations in parts of the country.
