Teachers Threaten Strike if TSC Fails to Honor CBA Agreement

The Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) has issued a warning that it will mobilize its members to strike if the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) fails to fulfill its promise of a salary increase. According to KUSNET Secretary General James Torome, teachers were expected to receive a 4.5% increase in their basic salary and a 5% increase in house allowances starting July. However, the TSC has not implemented these changes.

Torome announced that KUSNET plans to coordinate with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) to urge teachers not to return to school for the third term if their demands are unmet. This statement followed a daylong meeting with KUSNET officials at a hotel in Narok, where Torome called on TSC commissioners to ensure that the promised funds are released before the new term begins.

The salary increments were part of an addendum to the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), aimed at addressing the rising cost of living. The agreement included up to a 9.5% salary increase for the lowest-paid teachers and a 2.4% increase for the highest-paid teachers, along with revised house allowances for those in rural and small-town areas. The salary adjustments were to be retroactive to July 1, 2023, but the anticipated changes have not yet appeared on teachers’ pay slips.