KISUMU, Kenya, July 16 – The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has denied reports that teachers in the country are planning for a strike to push for salary increment.KNUT calling for review of CBA
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu says what KNUT is pushing for is a review of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 2021-2025.
“I did not give a notice of any strike, I gave a notice to Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to convene a meeting with KNUT to look into the clause of review on the CBA 2021-2025,” he said.
Oyuu announced that after they issued a 14 days’ notice to TSC, they have received a positive response from the teachers’ employer.
“TSC has written back to us and they are saying they are doing all that is possible to make sure they convene this meeting and address the sticking issues as soon as possible,” he said.
Speaking to the press in Kisumu after gracing Kisumu KNUT branch AGM, Oyuu assured unionsable teachers of maximum push to have their issues addressed.
Oyuu says the 2021-2025 CBA they signed with TSC was cashless and there is now need to review it to include the component of money.
“There is a clause in the CBA that gives the parties an opportunity to review what they had singed, remember some of our teachers mocked us that we signed a maternity CBA,” he said.
The Secretary General says the two year caveat by the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC) is now over and they are within the law to review what they had signed.
Oyuu said during the review, they will look into the non-monetary CBA.
KNUT has set terms in the salary review talks and will demand a pay rise if their salaries are going to be deducted to factor in the proposed Housing Levy.
The pay rise will then cushion teachers from the looming 3 percent deductions.
