The national teachers’ employer Teachers Service Commission has disputed claims of a stalemate with the unions.
This followed a meeting between TSC and teachers’ unions with a view to resolving an industrial dispute on various issues affecting the welfare of public school teachers.
Top of the agenda was the delayed implementation of the reviewed 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
TSC said the government has provided funds for the implementation of the 2nd phase of the CBA with effect from July 1, 2024.
”Other issues that the trade unions had issues but have been resolved by the commission include review of the Career Progression Guidelines is ongoing, up to date remittance of third party deductions,” TSC said.
The commission added teachers can now access both public and private hospitals under the Teachers Medical Scheme.
”The Government has provided resources for retooling of teachers for the implementation of CBC. The TSC has promoted 51,232 teachers under competitive promotions and a further 20,000 annually on common cadre.”
It added the unions agreed to meet separately and agree the way forward. “Effectively, the unions have noted the TSC position and agreed to consult their internal organs with a view to withdrawing the strike notice.”
”We, therefore, wish to thank the unions for engaging the Commission to ensure non-disruption of learning in schools during the Third Term, 2024,” TSC said.
“The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is committed to provide a conducive working environment for all the teachers in its employment. We are therefore beseeching all our teachers to report to schools on Monday for the start of the Third Term now that the Government has released funds for the implementation of the second phase of the 2021-2025 СВА.”
However, officials of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) say the strike scheduled to commence on Monday August 26 is still on.
During the talks held at the Kenya School of Government in Lower Kabete, the TSC offered to implement Phase II of the 2021 – 2025 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) but failed to meet the other demands of the unions.
The TSC invited the unions to the forestall the strike.
However, the teachers argue that the CBA was already in force.
This is likely to affect the start of the third term.
President William Ruto Friday directed Treasury to open talks with teachers and lecturers’ unions and avert looming strikes in the education sector.
Ruto told the Treasury, Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) to meet and iron out pending issues that have led to issuing of strike notices.
KNUT and Kuppet have issued strike notices to push for the implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement, while UASU has issued a notice for work boycott over delayed salaries.
“Treasury, TSC and the teaching fraternity should sit together and look at the possibility of ensuring that we implement our commitment as government and thus avoid unnecessary industrial action and interruption in our learning institutions,” Ruto said.
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