The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has demanded that the 2021-2025 CBA is implemented without any amendment, failure to which they will use all legal avenues to guarantee full compliance.
In a press statement dated July 26, and signed by Secretary General Collins Oyuu, KNUT said they will accept nothing less than the full compliance, urging the TSC to utilize all available resources to ensure the agreement is upheld by pressuring the National Assembly to approve the initial budget without changes.
“KNUT therefore calls on TSC to use all means within its reach to ensure that the Agreement which is legal and still binding is honoured through compelling the National Assembly to approve TSC’s KSh357,773,737,118 Budget without amendment failure to which the Union will use all legal means within her disposal to ensure full compliance,” reads the statement.
He acknowledged the efforts by TSC to convince both the Departmental Committee and the Budget Appropriation Committee not to cut the Commission’s budget of Ksh357.8 billion.
However, it was noted that the National Treasury had indeed gone ahead to cut the budget by Ksh10 billion.
“It has come to the knowledge of Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) that despite Teachers Service Commission (TSC) going to great pains to convince both the Departmental Committee why the Commission’s budget of KSh357, 773, 737, 118 should not be reduced – the National Treasury has indeed gone ahead to cut down the Budget by KSH10 billion,” read the statement.
According to KNUT, the CBA is a legally binding agreement signed between TSC and KNUT in 2021 and properly filed with the Employment and Labour Relations Court. Consequently, the National Treasury cannot retract its commitment by failing to sufficiently fund TSC for the CBA’s implementation.
KNUT also emphasized that the CBA should remain independent of the Finance Bill 2024 and the Appropriation Bill 2024, as the TSC/KNUT agreement was originally negotiated and signed in 2021, reviewed in 2023, and properly included in the government’s 2021-2025 contractual expenditures.
The union is urging the national government to fulfill its commitment by granting teachers the second phase of the salary increase as outlined in the revised 2021/2025 CBA and further state that teachers will accept nothing short of the 2nd phase salary increment as stipulated in the CBA.
“To this end, the National Government should live up to its promise of awarding teachers the 2nd phase salary increment as stipulated in the amended 2021/2025 CBA. Teachers would not accept anything short of the 2nd phase of the 2.5 per cent to 9 per cent salary increment awarded in 2023 since it would be an act of treachery, breach of contract and a violation of teachers’ labour rights,” reads the statement.
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