The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (KUPPET) have jointly announced that they will proceed with the planned statewide strike on Monday, August 26, 2024.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, KNUT and KUPPET attributed the action to the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) inability to resolve five significant grievances raised during a meeting on July 16, 2024, in order to end the planned industrial action and address matters pertaining to teachers’ welfare.
“Unfortunately, the Commission has neglected to respond to our concerns once more.”
Collins Oyuu, the KNUT secretary general, and Akelo Misori, the KUPPET secretary general, signed a statement by the unions stating that the commissioners have not provided tangible solutions for five of the six fundamental requests we have made.
Misori and Oyuu also stated that the swift execution of Phase Two of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was the only advancement resulting from the discussions.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Ministry of Education received roughly Ksh. 30 billion from the Treasury to fund a range of educational activities.
In the upcoming third term, the State Department for Basic Education received Ksh. 1.623 billion for free primary education, Ksh. 14.145 billion for free day secondary education in the same department, and Ksh. 6.109 billion for junior secondary education for the same period of time.
The State Department for Higher Education and Research gave Ksh.5.197 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board and Ksh.2.82 billion to the Universities Fund Board.
“The Commission attested to having obtained the entire budgetary allotment for the CBA. Teachers would therefore receive their full benefits and July arrears in their August payslips.
“The Commission assured us that they will complete the payroll later today, allowing teachers to receive their payments immediately.
They noted, meanwhile, that TSC failed to properly answer five important requests made by the two unions.
The unions specifically requested that 130,000 teachers who had been waiting for rank advancements after being shortlisted and interviewed for new grades be promoted, and that 46,000 intern teachers be immediately confirmed into permanent and pensionable employment.
The unions also demanded the immediate remittance of all third-party deductions, the immediate hiring of 20,000 additional teachers for junior secondary schools, and the start of negotiations on a new round of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“KUPPET and KNUT have used all available channels to request that the employer cooperate in resolving our complaints.” We have lost trust in the TSC due to its consistent dishonest behaviour and constant manipulation.”
According to the joint statement, the unions filed a labour dispute under Section 62 of the Labour Relations Act in response to their frustration.
