The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has issued a seven-day final notice to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), warning them of a nationwide strike over delayed negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Collins Oyuu KNUT Secretary General announced it on Tuesday, stating that public school learning may be disrupted beginning Monday July 7, if the Commission fails to initiate talks.
Oyuu accused TSC of dragging its feet despite the expiry of the current CBA on June 30, and said efforts to engage the Commission during a meeting at its Nairobi headquarters had ended in a stalemate.
“We came ready for negotiations, but TSC has shown no commitment. Teachers will not accept a non-monetary CBA as has been the case in recent years,” Oyuu said during a press briefing.
Key among KNUT’s demands is a 60% minimum salary increment and a 30% raise in all allowances. The union is also pushing for clear promotion criteria for classroom teachers, particularly those who are not in administrative roles.
The impasse comes barely a week after TSC invited KNUT for a consultative session scheduled for July 1. However, the meeting failed to yield any progress after the Commission reportedly declined to engage on the union’s key proposals.
This marks the second strike warning in less than two weeks, after the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) also demanded urgent action on the CBA. KUPPET had given the Commission until June 28 to initiate talks.
KUPPET Chairperson Omboko Milemba and Secretary General Akello Misori emphasized the importance of the CBA in improving teachers’ welfare and morale, calling on the Labour Cabinet Secretary to intervene if TSC fails to act.
