President William Ruto has instructed the national treasury to have a dialogue with the teachers service commission ahead of a looming strike announced by the teachers.
The head of state said the talks are geared towards resolving the grievances raised by the Kenya National union of teachers and the Kenya union of post primary education teachers who have issued a seven days strike notice over poor working condition and the failure by the commission to absorb the 46,000 intern teachers.
Speaking when hosting Kenya Music Festival State Concert at the Eldoret State Lodge Ruto has urged Teachers Service commission to avert the looming strike to prevent the disruptions in normal school calendar.
“That engagement is going to happen and I ask all the stakeholders to work together for the interests of our children respecting what is due to the teachers,” Ruto said.
Teachers have threatened to down their tool from the 26th of this month if the 2021-2025 collective bargaining agreement will not have been honored.
Knut and sister union, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), had on August 7 outlined six issues they wanted addressed failing which teachers would go on strike from August 26.
They demanded full implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), conversion of Junior Secondary School teachers, recruitment of 20,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms,
They also accused TSC of breaching the agreement for failing to implement the second phase of the Addendum effective from July 1, 2024, for all teachers, including basic salaries and allowances.
“The operating collective bargaining agreements between the two unions and the Teachers Service Commission were signed in June 2021 and amended by an addendum in August 2023. The CBAs have the full force of the law, having been registered at the Employment and Labour Relations Court in accordance with the Industrial Charter, the Constitution of Kenya and the applicable laws,” they said.
On Tuesday, August 13, Labour CS Alfred Mutua met with officials of the Knut National Steering Council for talks aimed at averting the nationwide teachers’ strike.