A conflict between the government and teachers’ unions looms on the horizon as budgetary cuts in the current financial year threaten the implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the medical cover scheme for teachers.
In the recent supplementary budget estimates, Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia informed Members of Parliament that the commission’s overall budget has been slashed by KSh 10 billion. This substantial reduction is expected to delay the second phase of the CBA implementation, which had been eagerly anticipated by teachers.
Even as the dust from the Generation Z sponsored protests begins to settle, teachers’ unions, led by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), are gearing up for potential protests against the budget cuts.
“We have written to Treasury telling them what will be affected by the cuts. We don’t have that money to implement end of the month. The warranty we have is to spend 15% of our budget, which means we are paying salaries,” Macharia stated.
Under the 2021-2025 CBA, teachers were set to receive a basic salary increment of up to 9.5% starting from July 1, 2023. The agreement, signed by KNUT, KUPPET, and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET), also included an increase in house allowances for teachers categorized under different clusters. Other terms of the agreement covered promotions, career progression, and workload adjustments for special needs education (SNE) teachers.
Macharia emphasized that any delays in the CBA implementation could lead to lawsuits and penalties, potentially damaging the working relationship between the commission and the teachers’ unions.
“When you sign a CBA with unions, you deposit it in court to show that you have obligated to implement. So, we shall have litigation and seem like we are acting in bad faith,” she explained.
As the TSC grapples with the budget cuts, the risk of industrial action from teachers’ unions remains high, adding another layer of complexity to the already strained relationship between the government and educators. The next few weeks will be crucial in determining whether a resolution can be reached or if the education sector will face further disruptions.
