President Ruto has called for the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and Education and Treasury ministries to negotiate with teachers’ unions and address their grievances to prevent the looming strike slated for August 26.
Ruto stated that effective negotiations between the TSC, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) will help implement the 2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and potentially avert the impending strike.
“We have agreed that the Treasury, Teachers Service Commission, and the teaching fraternity sit together and look at the possibilities of ensuring that we implement our commitment as a government to avoid unnecessary industrial action,” he said.
Ruto assured that the upcoming discussions, led by the relevant ministries, will help prevent disruptions to learning as schools gear to reopen for the third term.
“So that engagement is going to happen, I want to tell the leadership of all those that are concerned and all the stakeholders to work together for the interests of our children and respect what is due for our teaching fraternity, both at KNUT and KUPPET levels,” he stated.
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Both KNUT and KUPPET recently issued strike notices demanding that the government honors the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
KNUT announced today that all its members will join the KUPPET strike, beginning midnight on August 25. They also confirmed that teachers will not be present in schools to begin the third term.
The Union has further instructed all Branch Executive Councils to fully mobilize complete withdrawal of labor in all schools across its 110 branches until the issue is resolved and the Secretary-General officially calls off the strike notice.
By Frank Mugwe
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