Kuppet has finally registered a labour dispute with the Ministry of Labour, paving the way for the countrywide teachers’ strike on August 26, 2024. This is the reopening date for the third term, a period considered very critical for administering the KCSE and other key assessments.
In a letter addressed to Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, Kuppet has put down its grievances against the Teachers Service Commission as far as failure to resolve disputes through social dialogue is concerned. It had earlier issued a strike notice citing a ranche of issues, key among them being the failure to address the implementation of the final phase of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement, promotion of over 130 000 teachers, and negotiations for a new CBA that would address allowances and other benefits. The union represents about 140,000 secondary school teachers and post-primary tutors.
The TSC, which manages a workforce of about 370,000 teachers, is aware of these concerns by Kuppet and the Kenya National Union of Teachers, Knut, but has not finalized internal consultations. The unions have threatened a countrywide strike if their grievances are not addressed within a reasonable timeframe; this would paralyze the education sector to a complete halt.
Labour CS Alfred Mutua has met Knut’s leadership and assured them that his government is committed to ending the impasse. Despite that the government is still battling financial constraints especially after the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024, Dr. Mutua promised to meet with officials from TSC over the same and find a quick solution. The recent Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2024, that slashed Sh145.7 billion in government spending did provide for education, including Sh18.7 billion to confirm 46,000 intern teachers and Sh30.7 billion for junior school capitation.
The first national vice-chair, Malel Langat, of Knut, warned that the CBA was a legal document, and in case TSC fails to implement the agreed salary increment, that would amount to contempt of court. With the D-day of the strike drawing closer and closer, all eyes remain glued on whether the government and the TSC will meet the demands of the unions or not to avert countrywide disturbance in the learning sector.