The Teachers Service Commission will on Wednesday hold talks with the teachers’ unions in last minute ditch to avert a looming strike ahead of the schools’ reopening.
Teachers’ unions invited to the meeting include the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers.
The Kenya Union of Special Needs Education has also been invited to the roundtable as the government moves to strike a deal with teachers.
TSC Chief Executive Officer and Commission Secretary Nancy Macharia has invited officials of the teachers' unions for the talks at 10 am.
The Wednesday meeting is part of the government’s efforts to try and resolve the Sh13.3 billion teachers’ pay dispute that has threatened to paralyse learning in public schools from next week.
This will be the first in as many meetings that will be convened within this week in a bid to resolve the industrial threat.
After the Wednesday meeting, the teachers’ unions will also hold a joint roundtable with the Ministries of Labour, National Treasury and Education as the government moves to avert the strike.
Efforts to find a solution have gained momentum following President William Ruto’s directive to the National Treasury and TSC to resolve the pay impasse.
President Ruto has directed all parties to come together and resolve the issues to avoid the impending strike by teachers in public schools.
“The Treasury, TSC and the teaching fraternity should sit together and explore the possibility of ensuring that we fulfil our commitments as a government thus avoiding unnecessary industrial action and disruption in our learning institutions," President Ruto said last week.
Knut and Kuppet have insisted that they will not back down until the Sh13.3 billion needed for the implementation of the Second Phase of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement is made available.
“We demand that the money be available for the implementation of the CBA and that the salary arrears for July and August be included in the teachers’ salaries. Anything short of that will not be accepted," said Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu on Sunday.
At the same time, the unions are demanding that TSC begin negotiations for the 2026-2030 CBA as a precondition for calling off the strike, which is planned to begin on August 26.
The strike is slated to coincide with the reopening of schools for the Third Term.