Looming crisis in schools as teachers issue 7-day strike notice

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has issued a 7-day strike notice demanding the implementation of what it terms as concrete commitments made by the government to the educators in order to improve their general welfare.

KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori, in a statement to newsrooms on Friday, said the four commitments include the immediate disbursement of all overdue funds for the teachers’ medical scheme.

“The scheme, for which Parliament has allocated Ksh.15 billion, has virtually collapsed due to the government’s failure to remit premiums for more than six months. Nearly all private and mission hospitals have withdrawn from the scheme,” read Misori.

The union also wants the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) fully implemented as it went through the full legal process and was duly registered at the Employment and Labour Relations Court, hence is “cast in stone and cannot be withheld or re-negotiated.”

KUPPET demanded that all 46,000 intern teachers be employed under permanent and pensionable terms, further that it expects the educators to receive their confirmation letters by the end of the month and their July salaries to reflect by next week.

It called for the immediate employment of 20,000 new Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) teachers, following a recent declaration by President William Ruto terming this as a priority investment in the sector.

Even if this is done, however, the union noted that the JSS schools would still remain understaffed by nearly 73,000 teachers.

“KUPPET rejects the excuses being advanced through innuendo in the media to the effect that these projects have been affected by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024. The government’s goal should be the removal of wastage in its operations, not the withdrawal of benefits to workers,” noted Misori.

“We are dismayed by casual statements being made by government functionaries on teachers’ welfare at a time when no less a person than the President has committed to look critically into the issues affecting our youth. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission, in particular, has sunk to the lowest depths imaginable in pliantly arming the government to subjugate workers.”

He added: “Should there be no progress on the four issues within seven days, the government should be well informed that schools will not open for the third term in September.”

The strike notice comes after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on Wednesday announced that they would not be able to honour the CBA following budget cuts effected by the government.

Speaking when she appeared before the Education Committee in the National Assembly, TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia told MPs that their overall budget has been slashed by Ksh.10 billion, which will affect the implementation of the second phase of the CBA agreement.

Ms. Macharia also informed the committee that JSS intern teachers could only be absorbed from January and not this month as earlier anticipated.