The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has given the Teachers' Service Commission (TSC) seven days to commence talks on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA); failure to which they will strike beginning June 28.
Led by its chairperson, Omboko Milemba, the union expressed concerns over the delays in talks for a new CBA, since the current one expires on June 30 this year.
Addressing journalists on Saturday, June 21, Milemba revealed that they had already notified Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua about their concerns, as TSC had remained quiet on the matter.
During the presser, the KUPPET boss urged the CS to initiate the talks immediately, failure to which the union would be forced to call for a nationwide strike.
"TSC should invite us for talks, the other person who should also be involved is the Labour Cabinet Secretary, who should make sure that TSC convenes the talks immediately," Milemba stated.
"Other people who should also contribute to these talks are the Members of Parliament, in particular the National Assembly's Education Committee," he added.
KUPPET's Secretary General, Akello Misori, noted that the new CBA was of great significance, as it was meant to address teachers' welfare and motivate them.
"We have given the government seven days to address the issue of CBA because we do not want our members to be overexposed in an event there is no CBA beyond June 30," Akello Misori stated.
In the new CBA, KUPPET has proposed an increase in the teachers' basic pay by 50 per cent for teachers in higher job grades and a 100 per cent increase for teachers in lower job groups.
The union is also calling for the modernisation of teachers' house allowance by increasing it by 20 per cent for all teachers. Similarly, KUPPET is also demanding an increase in the hardship allowance for some teachers.
In the CBA, KUPPET is proposing an increase in the hardship allowance by 200 per cent for those in higher job grades and 250 per cent for those in lower job grades.
Further, the union is demanding the introduction of an overtime allowance for teachers across the board. Nonetheless, KUPPET opposed the government's decision to remove the examination fee.
