KNUT could call for a Strike over CBA 2021-2025

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has threatened full-blown industrial action against its employer if TSC does not conduct new salary talks within the next two weeks.

KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion said that the current rates of salary, where teachers earn a cumulative sum of Sh. 54 million, was negotiated to cover the years between 2017 to 2021 which ends I June this year.

Session has written to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), saying: “We hereby issue a 14-day notice from the date of this letter, and failure of action from your part shall lead to full-blown industrial action.”

In his letter dated February 10, Sossion says that even though there have been many pleas by KNUT to start negotiations on the 2021-2025 new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the teachers’ employer has not yet responded on the issue.

Sec-Gen Wilson Sossion revealed that TSC has decided not to respond to the request, “but instead attempted to revoke our recognition agreement to render KNUT irrelevant in the next CBA”.

“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,” reads the letter.

Sossion further reveals that the union is with the knowledge that TSC had already held discussion with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on new CBA proposals, but had decided to remain quiet on engaging with union members.

“We are fully aware that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has forwarded salary proposals to SRC without formally beginning negotiations with KNUT and the said proposals are currently being analyzed by SRC,” Sossion says.

Sossion argues that 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.

The 16 percent raise in basic pay should be for teachers who are in administrative grades (C4 to D5), who were big winners in the 2016-2021 CBA.

Classroom teachers who are in lower grades (B5 to C3) shall get a salary increment of 30 percent.

KNUT and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KUPPET) also submitted proposals after they claimed that TSC did not consult them when they made the new salary scales.

The three parties all have different proposals and this led to disagreements.