The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) have vowed to go ahead with a nationwide teachers’ strike.
This follows after a failed negotiations with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over the implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA).
The strike, set to begin on Monday, August 26, 2024, is expected to cause widespread disruptions in public schools across the country.
Union officials from both KUPPET and KNUT announced their decision during a press briefing on Wednesday, August 21, expressing their disappointment after talks with the TSC broke down.
The unions rejected TSC’s proposal to implement only a portion of the CBA, insisting on the full execution of the agreement.
Among the key issues raised by the unions are the need for teacher promotions, the employment of more teachers, and an increased budget allocation from the government.
The collapse of the talks follows a meeting convened by the TSC, which came just days after President William Ruto urged all relevant parties to engage in meaningful dialogue to avert the looming crisis.
“Treasury, TSC, and the teaching fraternity should sit together and look at the possibility of ensuring that we implement our commitment as government,” President Ruto had stated.
Despite the president’s call for dialogue, the Wednesday meeting ended without an agreement, heightening concerns about the potential impact on the education sector.
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu, speaking on behalf of both unions, reiterated their demands, including the immediate confirmation of all current intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms effective July 1, 2024, and the payment of their full July salaries, which remain unpaid.
