KUPPET warns of strike if TSC fails to implement pay increment

Teachers vote to elect three new trustees who will manage the affairs of KUPPET at the Red Cross hall in Malindi, Kilifi County on Friday 16th December 2016. (PHOTO: KELVIN KARANI/ STANDARD)

A teachers' union has threatened to resume street protests if the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) fails to implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in October.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) gave the government until June 2017 to increase teachers’ salaries.

Last year, KUPPET and TSC signed a CBA to increase salaries of all cadres of teachers based on their job groups.

In the agreement, the lowest paid teacher was to get Sh27,195 up from Sh16,000 while the highest paid was to take home Sh157,000 a significant increment from Sh109,000.

“We are waiting for the implementation of the CBA in 2017 and come June next year we will be on a war path if the government fails to meet our bargain. These CBAs is the reason why doctors are on strike in the first place,” said KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori.

Yesterday, the union through its chairman Omboko Milemba revealed the intention to recruit 62,000 teachers to strengthen their bargaining power by the end of next year. Kuppet wants the government to fast track validation of teachers to enable the union increase membership that dwindled following the September 2015 teachers strike.

Mr Milemba said the union lost close to 15,000 members when the government through the TSC forced teachers out of the union in a validation process. Currently KUPPET has 45,000 members and is expecting to gain 10,000 more once TSC concludes validation of teachers.

Speaking during the two-days Annual Delegates Conference in Malindi on Friday, Milemba said the government through the TSC introduced the validation to register teachers into unions.

“So far we have 45,000 teachers and we aim at registering 10,000 more who have already submitted their forms at the TSC awaiting validation,” said Milemba.

The chairman also urged the government to respect the Constitution and reinstate membership of about 7,000 teachers who lost their registration during validation.

The meeting comes a week after Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) concluded the annual delegate’s conference in Nairobi which called for speedy implementation of the CBA.

“In 2013 we signed a CBA and the matter ended up in court, two others were signed this year in June and October and the latest added a little salary component, but teachers left the union not because they wanted to but because the government forced members out of the union,” said Milemba.

KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion, executive members and 570 delegates from the 47 counties attended the meeting.

Mr Misori said the delegates will elect three trustees to manage the affairs of the union. The union will also discuss curriculum review and demanded involvement of teachers as the key implementers.