The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) on Wednesday, August 7, addressed a joint press conference in Nairobi, after failing to reach an agreement with Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in a meeting, where they issued a strike threat.
In a unit of purpose, the two teachers unions gave TSC ultimatum to address a number of issues with major one being implementation of the 2021 – 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The unions want TSC to pay the second phase of the CBA benefits in August salaries or it faces industrial action.
The unions have jointly written to the Commission with a raft of other demands they want met within seven days failing which they will set in motion the process for a nationwide strike starting August 26, when schools open for the third term.
A strike in the final term of the school year would derail preparations for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam and the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
This will be a cold welcome for the new Cabinet Secretary for Education, who is expected to be Julius Migos Ogamba following the approval of his nomination by the National Assembly.
Other grievances they want addressed include conversion of intern teachers to permanent terms and employment of an additional 20,000 others and promotion of 130,000 teachers.
The unions also want TSC to pay firms that provide teachers’ medical cover and commit to negotiations over a new CBA as the current one runs out next year.
“We demand that the TSC discharge its legal responsibilities and immediately remit the teachers’ emoluments for July 2024, including basic salaries and allowances, as provided under the CBAs,” said Knut Secretary-General, Collins Oyuu.
His Kuppet counterpart Akelo Misori said their demands are “non- negotiable” since the agreements were deposited at the Employment and Labour Relations Court last year.
The TSC requires Sh13.5 billion to pay teachers the second and final phase of the deal signed in August last year to cushion teachers from the high cost of living. However, the increment was not factored in their July salaries.
The joint approach is a far cry from past scenarios when the unions addressed matters affecting their members separately.
Knut draws most of its members from primary school teachers while Kuppet has membership in secondary schools and other post-primary institutions.
On Tuesday, Mr Oyuu had told the Nation union officials were to meet with the TSC yesterday. However, the meeting did not materialise. He said the commission declined the request for a meeting, saying, they would do so after “higher-level consultations”.
On the promotion of teachers who have remained in the same job groups for long, Mr Oyuu said that they were shortlisted and interviewed for new grades in 2023, but failed to get their appointments due to the lack of a budget for their promotions.
He accused the TSC of effecting National Social Security Fund salary deductions without remitting the same to the fund.
For the new CBA, the unions have proposed that teachers be paid post-graduate allowance, per diems for games teachers, risk allowance for science teachers, as well as special duty and acting allowances for teachers not substantially appointed.