The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has called off planned strikes ahead of schools’ opening on Monday, August 26, 2024.
In a notice released on Sunday, August 25, 2024, the teachers’ union said they have withdrawn the strike notice following negotiations they had with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The strike notice was released on August 16, 2024, and KNUT then directed all branch executive councils to mobilise to have total paralysis of teaching in all 110 branches of KNUT until the matter is resolved.
Among the demands KNUT made were immediate remittance of the third-party deductions accrued to their respective organisations. Immediate conversion of 46,000 Junior School teachers to Permanent and Pensionable Terms and employment of 20,000 new teachers. 4. Promotion of 130,000 stagnated teachers on various job grades.
And immediate remittance of capitation to the medical insurer to allow service providers to offer medical services to s**k teachers and their families.
In the negotiations between KNUT and TSC, five demands were tabled for discussion, and the following areas were agreed upon:
“The second phase of the Salary award for teachers was given and factored into their salaries in arrears for August 2024.
“This gives room for the commencement of the CBA 2025/2029 cycle in respect to Section 3 on effective date and duration and specifically Section 3.3, which states that components of a running CBA can only be repealed by a new on,” the statement by KNUT said.
KNUT explained why, therefore, they have decided to withdraw the strike notice.
“The NEC, having considered all options in the developments of these matters and the level of commitment by both the government, the employer (TSC), and the teachers’ position in driving the education agenda, has today directed the Secretary-General to withdraw the strike notice.
“The NEC has therefore, today, August 25, 2024, agreed to withdraw the strike notice that was elapsing midnight on August 25, 2024, since we have commenced addressing the remaining matters administratively.
“Meanwhile we assure our members that the Union is committed to resolve the matters herewith failure to which we shall revert to the initial position since the strike notice has only been withdrawn. In light of the latest developments, we direct our teachers to resume duty effective Monday, 26th August, 2024. We call upon our esteemed members to remain steadfast as we resolve the matters at hand,” it added.