- Knut and its sister union, Kuppet on August 7 issued a seven-day notice over non-implementation of their CBA.
- The unions further demanded the promotion of 130,000 stagnated teachers and the recruitment of 20,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms
Image: ALFRED MUTUA/X
Labour CS Alfred Mutua on Tuesday met with officials of the National Steering Council of the Kenya National Union of Teachers for talks aimed at averting a possible nationwide teachers’ strike over non-implementation of their CBA.
The union’s delegation was led by Secretary General Collins Oyuu and national chairman, Patrick Munuhe.
“The union raised several key issues, including the delay in implementing the second phase of the 2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which promised a salary increment of seven per cent to nine per cent,” Mutua said.
Knut and its sister union, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), on August 7 issued a seven-day notice for the government to address several teachers’ concerns failure to which the unions would direct teachers to go on strike from August 26.
“Kuppet and Knut have today joined forces to demand the immediate resolution of six issues causing unrest among our members,” the unions said in a joint statement.
The unions demanded full implementation of the 2021-2025 CBA.
The CBAs between the unions and Teachers Service Commission were signed in June 2021, and amended by an addendum in August 2023.
Knut and Kuppet accused TSC of breaching the agreement by failing to implement the second phase of the Addendum effective from July 1, 2024, for all teachers, including basic salaries and allowances.
Kuppet and Knut have further demanded the promotion of 130,000 stagnated teachers and the recruitment of 20,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms to address the huge deficit in Junior Secondary Schools.
CS Mutua said the meeting also spoke about concerns about the teachers’ medical scheme, non-remittance of Sacco and loan deductions, and delays in retirement benefit payments.
“I assured the union leaders of my commitment to finding swift resolutions to these issues and pledged to collaborate with my Cabinet colleagues and other relevant government bodies to address their concerns,” Mutua said.
Mutua said the meeting reflects the government’s broader efforts aimed at ensuring the interests of workers are safeguarded and that industrial relations remain cordial.
Principal Secretary for Labour, Shadrack Mwadime, was also present during the meeting.
There have been fears that teachers may not receive salary increments envisaged in their CBA after the government reduced the recurrent budget of the TSC by Sh10.2 billion.
The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education through chairman Julius Melly said in a report the sum total of this is that teachers may resort to strikes and disruption of teaching and learning in public schools as well as litigations in courts.
“Industrial unrest is something which this government may not wish to deal with at this time given the current unease situation in the country hence the need to ensure that this allocation is provided,” the committee advised.
Mutua said he would convene a meeting in a week’s time with the Knut representatives to assess progress and continue dialogue for purposes of maintaining industrial peace.