This evening, the KUPPET National Executive Board and the Teachers Service Commission reached a settlement on all grievances raised by the union in the industrial dispute and consequent nationwide strike that started on Monday 26 August 2024.
After nearly two weeks of grandstanding, the Commission came down from its high horse and met KUPPET to address the union’s grievances in an open and frank manner. The settlement we reached today has resulted in the NEB suspending the on-going strike immediately.
The union’s National Governing Council, which alone has the power to initiate and call off strikes under the KUPPET Constitution, will be convened after court determination of the consent to be drawn pursuant to today’s agreement. The NGC will consider the agreement reached with the Commission and on that basis ratify or vary the decision to suspend the strike.
During the day-long talks culminating in the agreement, the union secured the gains made since the start of the strike on 26 Aug. The details of our agreement with the TSC include:
The TSC shall observe full implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement as confirmed in the circular it already issued to KUPPET.
The TSC has remitted all statutory and third party deductions from teachers’ salaries as per the law and obligations under check-off system and undertakes to do the same without encumbrances.
The Commission shall immediately embark on a review of the Career Progression Guidelines to reduce the number of promotional grades and ensure quick career growth for teachers.
The Commission has restored the full budget for Teachers Medical Scheme of Sh20 billion and disbursed all arrears owed to health institutions for quarter one and quarter two, hence returning services to normal in both public and private hospitals.
The TSC recognised the gravity of stagnation hence will seek parliamentary allocation of Sh2 billion for the promotion of all teachers who have stagnated in their Job Groups.
There shall be no victimisation whatsoever by the TSC of any teacher who participated in this industrial action.
The TSC will open negotiations for the new CBA round of 2025-2029 immediately upon KUPPET’s submission of a Memorandum of Demands. Under the new CBA round, KUPPET will seek:
New salary scales for teachers following Job re-evaluation.
Automatic career progression up to Deputy Principal levels.
Remuneration of teachers performing duties on behalf of the Kenya National Examinations Council, the Ministry of Education and other autonomous agencies be remunerated as per the Human Recourse Policies and Procedures Manual for the Public Service.
Work with the Ministry of Labour and the Attorney General’s office to revise Salaries and Remuneration Commission regulations blocking Acting and Special Duty Allowances for teachers.
Introduction of post-graduate and risk allowances.
During the talks, the parties did reach agreement on the fate of 46,000 intern teachers. The TSC committed to maintain all current interns in its payroll and stated that their confirmation into permanent and pensionable employment by 1 January 2025 was a decision to be made outside the Commission.
The same applied to the recruitment and appointment of 20,000 new teachers in January 2025 on permanent and pensionable terms to address the huge deficit in Junior Secondary Schools.
The finer details of today’s understanding will be filed in court consent by the parties, which is being worked upon by the respective legal teams in compliance with court orders.
Obviously, KUPPET did not win all we set out for in this strike. However, the agreement constitutes a major win for the union. Needless to add, during the last meeting between TSC and the unions, the Commission verbally offered the CBA phase two, and even that was not implemented until after the strike.
The parties will engage further in good faith and trust to address all grievances underlying the industrial action and restore industrial harmony in the sector.
AKELO M.T. MISORI
SECRETARY GENERAL
2 SEPT 2024