The country is staring at a looming crisis after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) issued a two-week strike notice against the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over salary negotiations.
Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion has written to TSC arguing that the current teachers’ salary was negotiated for the period between 2017 and 2021, therefore there is a need for new negotiations, failure to which they’ll go on strike.
“We hereby issue a 14-day notice from the date of this letter and failure of action from your part shall lead to full-blown industrial action,” Sossion’s letter read in part.
According to Sossion, attempts by Knut to kick start salary negotiations for the 2021 to 2025 period have been futile as TSC has been ignoring the union.
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“Despite correspondence dating back to 2019 urging TSC to formally commence and conclude negotiations with us, including the last correspondence, has been copied to you, (there has been) zero response.
“We are fully aware that TSC has forwarded salary proposals to SRC without formally commencing negotiations with Knut, and the said proposals are currently being analysed by SRC,” Sossion added.
The strike notice comes barely a month before candidates across the country commence the 2020 national examinations.
Teachers are an integral part of the exam process as they invigilate, supervise, and eventually take part in the marking exercise.
Without them, it is impossible for the exams to take off.
All eyes are now on TSC, with parents hoping that the issue will be resorted soon to prevent the strike.
