As schools re-open for the Third Term on Monday next week, a showdown is expected between the government and teachers’ unions over unmet promises.

Yesterday, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) announced plans to join the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) in what may be the beginning of a gridlock that could interfere with learning.

Although President William Ruto had instructed the National Treasury and TSC to resolve the stalemate, KUPPET, in a letter addressed to the newly installed Labour and Social Protection CS Dr Alfred Mutua indicated that its negotiations with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had hit a logjam and will proceed with the strike as highlighted in their earlier correspondences.

“KUPPET hereby issues a seven-day strike notice for industrial action under section 76 (c) of the Labour Relations Act 2007 by our members and all Kenyan teachers starting Monday, August 26, 2024,” the letter by the union’s secretary general Akelo Misori read in sections.

Impending strike

Among other issues, KUPPET indicated its impending strike will be informed by the government’s failure to fully implement the 2021-2025 CBA which was signed in June 2021 and amended by an addendum in August 2023.

“The CBA is part of the law of the land, having been registered at the Employment and Labour Relations court in accordance with the Industrial Relations Act, the Industrial Charter and the constitution of Kenya. TSC must discharge its legal responsibilities and immediately remit the teachers emoluments for July 2024 including basic salaries and allowances as provided under the agreements,” remarked Misori.

Other areas of concern that teachers insist must be addressed for them to resume teaching are the delayed promotion of 130,000 teachers who have stagnated in their current job grades within this financial year, the collapse of teachers’ medical cover and failed remittance of loans and NSSF deductions from teachers by TSC.

“The commission has deducted and not remitted funds for third-party agents including commercial banks. It must urgently make good of its responsibilities to remit tax and other deductions made at source,” the unionists demanded.

KUPPET further demanded for conversion of JSS teachers and new employments, review of career progression guidelines, compensation of teachers acting in administrative positions, and introduction of post-graduate allowances to show commitment to signing a new CBA.

CBA phase

The government has been taking teachers in circles regarding the allocation of Sh13.3 billion for the implementation of the second phase of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), a crucial agreement that was negotiated, signed, and deposited in court.

Sources yesterday indicated that relevant government agencies will meet this week before they begin engaging teachers’ unions in round-table discussions.

Last week, KNUT issued a fresh seven-day strike notice to TSC after conciliatory interventions failed to forestall the industrial action. The union secretary Collins Oyuu said the teachers’ lobby group had communicated their complaints to the teacher’s employer and the Ministry of Labour but zero action had been taken.

“Teachers shall down their tools and withdraw their labour and schools will not open until this matter is resolved,” Oyuu told journalists last week.

Yesterday, Nyeri Town MP Duncan Maina blamed failed talks between teachers and the government for the collapse of the Finance Bill 2024/2025. While appealing to President William Ruto’s administration to negotiate with the teachers on the implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) among other issues raised, the MP who spoke at Nyamachaki Primary School after inspecting ongoing construction of additional classrooms urged to urge the national government and unions to agree on the way forward.

“Even if we withdraw our labour and our kids stay at home, the money will still not be found. Our options are limited. We will have to engage in a national conversation on where we will have to tighten our belts. It is not an easy conversation but it is our only way out,” said the MP.

The lawmaker further called on the Ministry of Education to domicile Grade 9 at Senior Secondary Schools, arguing that the senior institutions have adequate space and infrastructure to accommodate the ballooning population of students.

He said the government should focus on constructing and upgrading laboratories for Grade 7 and Grade 8 learners at the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) which are currently placed at the primary institutions.

“When we look at the financial challenges that we are going through as a country, we must be prudent in utilizing the resources that we have,” Maina said