Teachers Strike Looming. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has threatened President William Ruto’s government with an industrial strike if their demands are not met.
Collins Oyuu, the secretary general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), made the announcement on Tuesday, December 13 during the annual union delegation meeting in Kisumu.
Oyuu urged a revision of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the years 2021-2025 as well as a 60 percent raise in the basic pay for teachers in all cadres (CBA).
Teachers Strike Looming
“The last CBA signed for 2017 -2021 put a lot of emphasis on the welfare of headteachers and their deputies
We now demand the welfare of all teachers to be put in consideration in the 2021-2025 CBA and every teacher to be awarded 60 per cent basic salary increase,” Oyuu demanded.
Teachers, he said, deserve good pay and benefits because of the difficult nature of their work.
“The quality of life for teachers in this country has deteriorated due to poor pay, and we want the government to recognize us and be rewarded,” Oyuu added.
The union also supported the teachers’ delocalization policy, despite its negative effects on families.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers also said that it will lobby Parliament for a budget of Ksh4.5 billion to fund teacher training and development.
“Teachers do not have enough finances to maintain themselves. We should, therefore, not be expected to pay for the professional development induction,” Oyuu stated.
At the moment, the induction that is provided at some institutions in Kenya costs Ksh6,000 for teachers to pay.
The union also wanted academic qualifications to take precedence over experience and other factors when determining who gets promoted.
