Kuppet issues seven-day strike notice in pay row

A union has given the teachers’ employer seven days to respond to a salary review demand or face a nationwide strike. 

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) said the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had ignored its 21-day ultimatum and failed to table a counter-offer to proposals detailed in a signed agreement.

At a press briefing at the union’s head office in Nairobi, Kuppet secretary-general Akelo Misori said teachers would press for nothing short of a salary increment this year.

“The Kuppet national executive board has considered the response by the TSC to our demand for the reopening of talks on the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA). Regrettably, the commission does not meet our demands,” said Mr Misori.

He said the TSC merely acknowledged the union’s letter and promised to respond substantively at a later stage after ‘interrogating’ the contents.

Three weeks ago, Kuppet had given the TSC 21 days to table a counter-offer and meet other demands set out in the CBA, failing to which the union would call a nationwide strike.

Mr Misori said teachers should get better terms in line with the recommendations of the third public sector remuneration and benefits review cycle.

“If the commission will not have given us a positive response, we shall convene a meeting with the union’s National Governing Council, the body responsible for allowing us to call a strike, to give us a go-ahead,” said Mr Misori.

The threat comes days to the national exams, which are scheduled to start next week.

The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams are expected to start on February 28, while the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams are scheduled to start on March 7.

Kuppet is demanding a review of the 2021-2025 non-monetary CBA, saying teachers deserve a salary increase of between 30 and 70 per cent.

The union says the lowest paid teacher, currently earning a basic salary of Sh34,955 should be paid Sh59,425, while the salary of the highest paid teacher should be increased from Sh118,242 to Sh153,715 monthly.

The union also wants the TSC to increase the commuter allowance for the lowest paid teacher from Sh5,000 to Sh8,500 and that of the highest paid teacher from Sh16,000 to Sh20,800 monthly.

Kuppet has proposed that hardship allowance be increased by 50 per cent and also wants the TSC to introduce a risk allowance for science teachers.

In the signed 2021-2025 non-monetary CBA, the TSC offered a 120-day maternity leave for female teachers and extended paternity leave for male teachers from 14 to 21 days.

The union further asked the TSC to introduce allowances for teachers with higher qualifications such as master’s degrees and PhDs.

This comes at a time when a petition has been tabled in Parliament by nominated MP Wilson Sossion seeking to compel the TSC to acknowledge qualifications attained by in-service teachers.