Teachers’ strike looms as Knut, TSC salary talks stall
Teachers would not back down on their push for full implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed with their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
It follows the failure by parliament to factor the Sh 13.3 billion in the supplementary budget assented to by President William Ruto last week for the implementation of phase two of the CBA.
Phase two of the CBA signed in 2021 and an addendum in 2023 becomes effective on July 1, 2024, with phase one – covering salaries and allowances for the teachers – having been implemented already. The CBA was to be implemented in two phases.
Mr Collins Oyuu, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General and First National vice chairman Malel Langat said it was unfortunate that the teachers will be forced to down their tools when schools re-open in September for the third and last term of the year, to press for the implementation of the CBA.
“That TSC did not lobby to ensure the Sh 13.3 billion meant for implementation of the second phase of CBA while having the full knowledge that the instruments for implementation of the agreement had been negotiated, agreed upon, signed and deposited in court baffles us,” Mr Oyuu said.
Speaking to the Nation in Bomet on Thursday, Mr Oyuu and Mr Langat said it was unfortunate that parliament had failed to listen to the pleas by teachers to avert a crisis in the education sector.
“We raised the issue with the Budget and Appropriation Committee under the chairmanship of Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro and his Education counterpart Julius Melly (Tinderet MP) to ensure the allocations for the teachers is not tampered with as that would be inviting chaos to the education sector. But it appears they did not listen” Mr Oyuu said.
“We would not back down in the bid to ensure full implementation of the CBA as it is a right for the teachers. There is no way the legally binding agreement at the Employment and Labour Relations Court can be re-negotiated” Mr Oyuu said.
They said the teachers will proceed on strike on re-opening of schools to push for their rightful dues following the insensitivity shown by parliament and TSC on the implementation of the legal instruments (CBA).
Mr Langat said TSC would be in contempt of court if it failed to implement the CBA for the teachers as the document was legal and had been signed by the KNUT Secretary General, national chairman, the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer and the chairman.
“In the appropriation of the funds, the first item on the table to be considered should have been the money for implementation of the CBA which provides for salary increment for the teachers in this country” Mr Langat said.
“There can not be any meaningful development in any country without a special focus on the education sector and Kenya is not an exception even in the backdrop of the economic challenges we are faced with” Mr Oyuu said.
Both KNUT and KUPPET had three weeks ago asked President William Ruto’s administration not to tamper with the education sector allocation in the budget reset following the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024 that led to protests.
Mr Omboko Milemba, the KUPPET national chairman, Mr Catherine Wambilianga the woman representative and Mr Edward Obwocha the union’s Secretary for secondary schools said at the time that teachers would not cede any ground on the demand for salary increment.
“Reducing the funding for teachers salaries and allowances is tantamount to inviting chaos in schools. There are very critical sectors the government and parliament should not tamper with and education is one of them” Mr Obwocha said.
The threat by the teachers to engage a strike gear to force the government to implement the demands is causing jitters as the country has been rocked by demonstrations by youths over a myriad of unfriendly economic policies being implemented.
“It is clear that teachers have been shortchanged in the appropriation of funds and they are not mincing words that they will go on strike when the schools re-open. This is a matter that could have been avoided as it is not a new issue” Ms Wambilianga said.
On Monday, President Ruto signed into law the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2024 reducing government expenditure plans for the 2024-2025 Financial Year.
It reduced the government expenditure by 145.7 billion drawn mostly from the Executive (Sh 139.81 billion), Parliament (Sh 3.7 billion) and Judiciary (Sh 2.1 billion).
A total of Sh 18.7 billion has been allocated for the confirmation of 46,000 intern teachers, and Sh 30.7 billion for the capitation of Junior Secondary School (JSS) students including those transitioning to grade nine.
Another Sh 23 billion has been allocated for universities for the Differentiated Unit Cost funding model, Sh 31.3 billion for the Higher Education Loans Board for scholarships and loans and a further Sh 17 billion to the University Funding Board for scholarships to university students.
Implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) system of education which is riddled with challenges has been hit by a shortage of teachers in primary and secondary schools with a rising number of learners.
The government has repeatedly been asked to re-look at the implementation matrix of the CBC system of education, but the government has gone full steam in its implementation without addressing the issues raised by the stakeholders.
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