Looming Nationwide Strike as Teachers Issue Ultimatum

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has issued a 7-day ultimatum to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to initiate discussions towards the signing of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Speaking to the media in Kakamega on Friday, KUPPET officials, led by Secretary General, Akello Misori, said that failure by the teachers’ employer to initiate the discussions will trigger a nationwide strike starting June 28

The union says it has formally informed Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Dr. Alfred Mutua after TSC allegedly failed to respond to a letter regarding the proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Further, the officials raised concerns that the current CBA, signed on July 13, 2021, is set to expire on June 30, 2025. Without a new agreement in place, they argue, teachers risk facing numerous challenges in their engagement with the employer.

KUPPET threatens nationwide strike

The union is pushing for the new CBA to be signed in advance and to take effect from July 2025 through to 2029, during which a fresh round of negotiations would be expected.

Officials further warned that if TSC does not respond within seven days, they will initiate a nationwide strike, withdraw labour, and stage demonstrations until the commission addresses their demands.

Secretary-General Misori expressed concern over what he described as the employer’s worrying silence on an issue that directly affects teacher welfare and motivation.

“We have already written to the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection to register a dispute with our employer. That letter has given the minister seven days to ensure that he processes our relationship with the employer because that is the only option left for us. We don’t want our members to be over-exposed if there is no CBA beyond 30th June,” Misori noted.

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In its proposed CBA, KUPPET is demanding a 50% increase in basic salary for teachers in higher job groups and a 100% raise for those in lower cadres.

According to the Secretary-General, the union also wants house allowances harmonised first, followed by a 20% increment across all grades.

KUPPET is further pushing for a 200% increase in commuter allowance for teachers in higher grades and a 250% increment for those in lower grades.

Proposals of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement

Additionally, the union is seeking a 100% increase in hardship allowances and the introduction of a hazardous allowance set at 20% of basic pay.

Misori emphasized that teachers involved in sports and other co-curricular activities should receive daily subsistence allowances aligned with their salary scales.

Also Read: Govt to Employ 24,000 More Teachers

The union is also proposing a shift in leave allowance from the current flat rate to one month’s basic salary, based on job group.

He further called for the introduction of overtime allowances based on salary scales and risk allowances for teachers working in high-risk areas, such as regions affected by banditry and insecurity.

“We also have a proposal to have one month’s basic salary as leave allowance. Currently, we have a flat rate arrangement according to various job groups. We have proposed risk allowances since some of us are exposed to the extreme risks of insecurity in banditry-prone areas and areas prone to attacks,” he added.

KUPPET Chairperson Omboko Milemba, on his part, urged TSC, the Ministry of Labour, and the National Assembly’s Education Committee to act with urgency and responsibility to address the welfare of teachers.

Milemba also cautioned against efforts to eliminate the national examination fee subsidy, arguing that such a move would threaten the principle of free basic education. He warned that scrapping exam fees would violate Article 53 of the Constitution, which guarantees free and compulsory basic education.

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