KNUT Demands Salary Increment For Teachers, Clarifies On Strike

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has refuted claims that teachers in the country are planning for a strike to push for salary increments.

According to KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu, KNUT is pushing a review of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the period of 2021-2025.

“I did not give a notice of any strike, I gave a notice to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to convene a meeting with KNUT to look into the clause of review on the CBA 2021-2025,” he said.

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Oyuu announced following their 14-day notice to TSC, they have received a positive response from the teachers’ employer.

“TSC has written back to us and they are saying they are doing all that is possible to make sure they convene this meeting and address the sticking issues as soon as possible,” he said.

Speaking at a press conference in Kisumu after attending the Kisumu KNUT branch Annual General Meeting, Oyuu reassured teachers who are members of the union that they would exert maximum effort to resolve their concerns.

Oyuu explained that the 2021-2025 CBA they signed with TSC was cashless and there is no need to review it to include the component of money.

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“There is a clause in the CBA that gives the parties an opportunity to review what they had signed, remember some of our teachers mocked us that we signed a maternity CBA,” he said.

Oyuu emphasized that the two-year restriction imposed by the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had now expired, granting them the legal right to review the agreement they had previously signed. He added that they will look into the non-monetary CBA.

KNUT has set conditions for the salary review discussions and will demand a salary increase to offset the proposed Housing Levy deductions. The pay rise will then cushion teachers from the looming 3 percent deductions.

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