Govt urges university staff to suspend industrial action

By Emily Kay

The government is pleading with striking university staff to suspend their industrial action to pave way for negotiation in a humble atmosphere.

Education Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i while acknowledging that the talks on the universities staff pay have been  slow directed the Inter Public University Councils Consultative Forum to continue with the negotiations and ensure a speedy resolution and the pay talks by February 28th, 2017 without fail.

Matiangi who met stakeholders involved in the managements of public universities expressed frustration that talks on the universities staff CBA have dragged for long and wants to bring them to finality.

To enable the talks proceed in an atmosphere of mutual trust, the CS has directed  public universities to suspend any court case on striking lecturers to give room for discussions though the Joint Negotiations Committee.

In a statement, Matiang’i requested the unions to seriously consider suspending their industrial action for talks to commence on Monday the 30th.

The CS also wants universities council to unconditionally withdraw any disciplinary action issued to any member of the unions with immediate effect.

Matiangi said he was confident that if talks were to be conducted in good faith, then a breakthrough on the universities staff pay dispute would be resolved.