KUPPET vows to continue strike amid ongoing standoff with TSC

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) National Governing Council has declared that the strike will continue despite a court order mandating its suspension. 

The union has criticized the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for failing to address their grievances, which include demands for better pay and working conditions.

One week after the strike began, KUPPET's National Governing Council convened in Nairobi to review the progress of their industrial action. Their resolution remains unchanged: the strike will persist until their demands are met.

"The strike is still on," affirmed KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori, emphasizing that the TSC has refused to engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve the issues at hand. 

The union is particularly concerned about the impact of the strike on the preparation of Form Four candidates who are set to sit their exams at the end of this term.

The strike was initially called to push for the implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). 

While the government has moved to implement the second phase of the CBA, KUPPET maintains that the salary increment is insufficient to meet the teachers' needs.

"Our struggle is not about the 1,000 shilling increment," Misori stated. "We have loans to pay, and many of us have invested in higher education."

Despite the ongoing strike, the teachers acknowledge some progress, including the government's commitment to hire Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers and properly remunerate those serving in acting positions. 

However, KUPPET insists that more action is needed, particularly regarding the promotion of teachers.

"This is about the dignity of teachers," Misori added, highlighting the union's broader concerns beyond salary increases.

In a cautionary message to parents, KUPPET urged them not to send their children to school, warning that the union and its members would not be responsible for the safety and well-being of students during the strike. 

The union insists that the strike will only be called off once a satisfactory return-to-work formula is reached.

So far, negotiations between the teachers and their employer, the TSC, have failed to yield a resolution. 

While the TSC has sought a court order to suspend the strike, KUPPET argues that the court's decision is irrelevant, as it was issued after the strike had already commenced. 

The stalemate continues, leaving the future of the strike—and the education of thousands of students—uncertain.