Teachers Strike Still On, Unions Assert, Amid Ksh.30B Education Funding
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (KUPPET) have confirmed that their nationwide strike, scheduled for Monday, August 26, 2024, will go ahead as planned.
This decision follows the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) failure to address critical grievances raised by the unions during a meeting held on July 16, 2024, which aimed to resolve issues affecting teachers’ welfare.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the unions attributed their decision to the lack of tangible solutions provided by the TSC.
According to the statement, the Commission failed to address five out of six key demands presented by the unions. However, they acknowledged that the only progress made was the immediate implementation of Phase Two of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Funding and TSC’s Assurances
On the same day, the Treasury released nearly Ksh.30 billion to the Ministry of Education to support various educational initiatives, including:
- State Department for Basic Education:
- Ksh.1.623 billion for free primary education for the upcoming third term.
- Ksh.14.145 billion for free day secondary education for the third term.
- Ksh.6.109 billion for Junior Secondary Education.
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- State Department for Higher Education and Research:
- Ksh.5.197 billion for the Higher Education Loans Board.
- Ksh.2.82 billion for the Universities Fund Board.
The TSC confirmed that it had received the full budgetary allocation for the CBA. The unions reported that teachers would receive their full benefits and arrears for July in their August payslips, with the payroll expected to be concluded by the end of the day.
Unions’ Demands Unaddressed
Despite these developments, the unions insisted that the TSC did not directly address five critical demands, including:
- Immediate confirmation of 46,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable positions.
- Promotion of 130,000 teachers who have been awaiting rank elevations.
- Immediate recruitment of 20,000 new teachers for Junior Secondary Schools.
- Prompt remittance of all third-party deductions.
- Initiation of discussions on a new round of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The unions expressed their frustration over the TSC’s failure to address these issues, stating that they had exhausted all amicable means to resolve the grievances.
They indicated that due to the TSC’s consistent bad faith, they had registered a labor dispute under Section 62 of the Labour Relations Act.
Legal and Union Actions
Consequently, the unions issued strike notices under Section 76(c) of the Labour Relations Act. While the TSC had pleaded with the unions to call off the strike following the CBA’s implementation, the unions maintained that they would only reconsider based on their members’ views and the TSC’s commitment to addressing the unresolved issues.
The unions also emphasized that the decision to call off the strike would be determined by their respective National Governing Councils and National Executive Councils, which would convene to evaluate the TSC’s actions.
The unions reiterated that the strike notices remain in force, and they intend to mobilize their members, parents, and other Kenyans to join the fight for teachers’ labor rights and quality education for Kenyan children.
They assured all stakeholders, including parents and school communities, that the strike, starting on Monday, August 26, 2024, is legally protected. All teachers were urged to withdraw their labor from midnight on Sunday, August 25, until their grievances are fully addressed.
TSC’s Ongoing Efforts
In response, the TSC stated that it is actively reviewing the teacher Career Progression Guidelines and ensuring the timely remittance of third-party deductions.
The Commission also highlighted that teachers now have access to both public and private hospitals through the Teachers Medical Scheme, and the government has allocated resources for retooling teachers to support the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
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Additionally, the TSC reported that it had promoted 51,232 teachers through competitive promotions and continues to promote an additional 20,000 teachers annually through common cadre promotions.
Teachers Strike Still On, Unions Assert, Amid Ksh.30B Education Funding
