Schools may not resume Term 3 as teachers plan to strike over CBA

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐓𝐒𝐂 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐁𝐀

Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) has warned it will call out members to down their tools after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) failed to honour an agreement to increase salaries.

KUSNET Secretary General James Torome said teachers were to receive 4.5 per cent increment on their basic salary and 5 per cent increase on their house allowances in July, but TSC failed to honour the agreement.

Torome said his union will join with Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) to prevail on teachers not to report back to school in the third term if their demands are not met.

He spoke to journalists after holding a daylong meeting with KUSNET officials in a Narok hotel, where he called on TSC commissioners to lobby and ensure the money is released before the schools open for the third term.

“The increment was to be effected in phases; the last phase was to be implemented in July this year but the teacher’s pay slips have not changed. We will not accept this as we had earlier negotiated and agreed on the salary increment,” he said.

Last year, the teachers’ unions signed an addendum to the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with TSC to cushion teachers against the high cost of living.

The teachers were to benefit from a basic salary review of up to 9.5 per cent for the lowest paid teachers and 2.4 per cent increment for the highest paid teachers and house allowances for teachers working in rural and small towns reviewed. The salary increase was backdated to July 1, 2023.

Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) has warned it will call out members to down their tools after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) failed to honour an agreement to increase salaries.

KUSNET Secretary General James Torome said teachers were to receive 4.5 per cent increment on their basic salary and 5 per cent increase on their house allowances in July, but TSC failed to honour the agreement.

Torome said his union will join with Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) to prevail on teachers not to report back to school in the third term if their demands are not met.

He spoke to journalists after holding a daylong meeting with KUSNET officials in a Narok hotel, where he called on TSC commissioners to lobby and ensure the money is released before the schools open for the third term.

“The increment was to be effected in phases; the last phase was to be implemented in July this year but the teacher’s pay slips have not changed. We will not accept this as we had earlier negotiated and agreed on the salary increment,” he said.

Last year, the teachers’ unions signed an addendum to the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with TSC to cushion teachers against the high cost of living.

The teachers were to benefit from a basic salary review of up to 9.5 per cent for the lowest paid teachers and 2.4 per cent increment for the highest paid teachers and house allowances for teachers working in rural and small towns reviewed. The salary increase was backdated to July 1, 2023.

Both Kuppet and Knut have also threatened to call for countrywide strikes.