The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has issued a strong demand for the full implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) without any amendments. The union has vowed to pursue all legal avenues to ensure compliance if their demands are not met.
In a press statement dated July 26, signed by Secretary General Collins Oyuu, KNUT emphasized their unwavering stance on the matter. The union urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to utilize all available resources to uphold the agreement, including pressuring the National Assembly to approve the initial budget without changes. “KNUT therefore calls on TSC to use all means within its reach to ensure that the Agreement which is legal and still binding is honoured through compelling the National Assembly to approve TSC’s KSh357,773,737,118 Budget without amendment failure to which the Union will use all legal means within her disposal to ensure full compliance,” the statement read.
The union acknowledged the efforts made by TSC to convince both the Departmental Committee and the Budget Appropriation Committee not to reduce the Commission’s budget of Ksh357.8 billion. However, it was noted that the National Treasury had proceeded to cut the budget by Ksh10 billion. “It has come to the knowledge of Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) that despite Teachers Service Commission (TSC) going to great pains to convince both the Departmental Committee why the Commission’s budget of KSh357, 773, 737, 118 should not be reduced – the National Treasury has indeed gone ahead to cut down the Budget by KSH10 billion,” the statement continued.
According to KNUT, the CBA is a legally binding agreement signed between TSC and KNUT in 2021 and properly filed with the Employment and Labour Relations Court. The union asserts that the National Treasury cannot retract its commitment by failing to sufficiently fund TSC for the CBA’s implementation. The CBA should remain independent of the Finance Bill 2024 and the Appropriation Bill 2024, as the TSC/KNUT agreement was originally negotiated and signed in 2021, reviewed in 2023, and properly included in the government’s 2021-2025 contractual expenditures.
KNUT emphasized the importance of honoring the second phase of the salary increase as outlined in the revised 2021/2025 CBA. The union stated that teachers would accept nothing less than the promised 2.5 percent to 9 percent salary increment awarded in 2023. Failure to implement this would be considered an act of treachery, breach of contract, and a violation of teachers’ labor rights. “To this end, the National Government should live up to its promise of awarding teachers the 2<sup>nd</sup> phase salary increment as stipulated in the amended 2021/2025 CBA. Teachers would not accept anything short of the 2<sup>nd</sup> phase of the 2.5 percent to 9 percent salary increment awarded in 2023 since it would be an act of treachery, breach of contract and a violation of teachers’ labor rights,” the statement concluded.
The standoff between KNUT and the government highlights the ongoing struggles in the education sector regarding teacher remuneration and the fulfillment of negotiated agreements. The union’s firm stance and readiness to take legal action underscore the significance of the CBA and the need for the government to honor its commitments to the teaching fraternity.
The education sector in Kenya has long grappled with issues of teacher compensation and working conditions. The current situation, if not resolved, could lead to further unrest and potential disruptions in the education system. It remains to be seen how the government will respond to KNUT’s demands and whether a resolution can be reached to ensure that teachers receive the promised salary increments as per the 2021-2025 CBA.
