Senator Khalwale Urges Nancy Macharia to Swallow Her Pride and Engage Striking Teachers
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has urged Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Nancy Macharia to engage in discussions with the striking teachers, emphasizing the need to resolve the impasse that has significantly disrupted learning, particularly in secondary schools.
Khalwale responded positively to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba’s announcement that the government has allocated funds to hire junior secondary school (JSS) teachers on a permanent basis and to implement the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The CS for Education announced that Ksh18.7 billion and Ksh13.5 billion will be released for the recruitment of intern teachers and the implementation of the CBA, respectively.
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In response, Khalwale suggested that Nancy Macharia should lead by initiating talks with the striking teachers to formulate a quick return-to-work strategy.
“We urge Nancy Macharia to swallow her pride and lead the TSC to sit with the striking teachers to work on an immediate return to work formula,” Khalwale said.
Teachers Unions’ Stance
Khalwale’s remarks came amidst continued industrial action by the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), which insisted that secondary school teachers would persist with their strike until the demands for the hiring of intern teachers and the implementation of the CBA were met.
Meanwhile, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), representing primarily primary school teachers, had called off its planned strike. The union cited goodwill from the government and TSC in addressing their concerns as the reason for this decision.
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Both KUPPET and KNUT are advocating for the government to permanently hire at least 46,000 intern teachers and promote 132,000 teachers. Additionally, the unions are pushing for the employer to remit teachers’ deductions and implement the second phase of the 2021-2025 CBA.
The involved parties saw the temporary strike cessation as an opportunity to seek a mutually beneficial resolution.
Senator Khalwale Urges Nancy Macharia to Swallow Her Pride and Engage Striking Teachers
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