KNUT issues two-week strike notice

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT)  has given the government two weeks to indulge in dialogue regarding a new salary structure failure to which the union will instigate a strike. 

The union is determined with the move despite the fact that students just resumed learning barely two months ago after almost a one-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to KNUT Secretary-General Wilson Sossion, the current salary rates, where teachers are earning a cumulative sum of Ksh 54 billion, is due for review since it was negotiated during the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement, ending in June 2021.

Sossion made it clear that the union will organize a nation-wide industrial action if the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) does not respond to his letter. 

He further stated that he had written several letters to the TSC reauesting for meetings for the 2021-2025 CBA discussion.

The letter read in part, “Despite correspondence dating back to 2019 urging TSC to formally commence and conclude negotiations with us, including the last correspondence, has been copied to you, (there has been) zero response.” 

The KNUT SG believes that the TSC’s decision to ignore his letters is an attempt to dismiss the union as an irrelevant entity. 

TSC has been having consultative meetings with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) concerning the new CBA while excluding KNUT in consultations, Sossion pointed out. 

According to him, TSC had proposed a salary raise of between 16 percent and 30 percent in the 2021-2025 CBA proposals, with classroom teachers getting higher perks.

Sossion said that during the consultation, the teacher's employer had told SRC to raise the basic salaries between 16 percent to 30 percent.

He argues that the 16 percent raise proposal should apply  for administrative teachers only.

His proposal is that teachers not in administrative positions should get a flat rate increment of 30 percent.  

Sossion added that students are likely to be affected negatively due to the disagreement that has emerged because of the faieof KNUT, TSC, SRC to work cooperatively.