The commitments include the immediate disbursement of all overdue funds for the teachers’ medical scheme.
The reopening of schools across the country for the Third Term in September 2024 hangs in the balance after the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) gave the government seven days to meet four of its demands.
According to a statement sent to Viral Tea, the union’s National Executive Board on Friday, July 19 issued the deadline in which to honour its concrete commitments on four issues critical to teachers’ welfare in the country.
The commitments include the immediate disbursement of all overdue funds for the teachers’ medical scheme.
KUPPET revealed that the scheme, for which Parliament has allocated Ksh15 billion, has virtually collapsed due to the government’s failure to remit premiums for more than six months. As a result, nearly all private and mission hospitals have withdrawn from the scheme.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) led by their leaders National General Secretary Akelo Misori, Jeremiah Omboka Milemba (chairman) and his Vice Julius Korir address the press in Eldoret. /STANDARD DIGITAL
The union also wants the full implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as amended by the Addendum of August 2023.
“This Agreement, which gave teachers peanuts, went through the full legal process including its registration at the Employment and Labour Relations Court. The benefits under the Agreement are cast in stone and cannot be withheld or re-negotiated,” the statement read in part.
KUPPET is also demanding that the government immediately convert 46,000 intern teachers into permanent and pensionable terms.
This is despite an earlier assurance by the Kenya Kwanza government of the same, with National Assembly Finance Committee Chair Kuria Kimani assuring on June 18 that the Parliamentary Group was informed that adequate funds -Ksh18 billion – were provided for the employment of all 46,000 Junior Secondary teachers who are on internship.
“All stakeholders in education (including the JSS parents) are united in this matter which KUPPET has pursued for more than a year. We hope and expect that the teachers will receive their confirmation letters by the end of this month and that their upgraded July salaries to be reflected in their bank accounts next week,” added the statement.
KUPPET also demanded the immediate employment of new 20,000 teachers for Junior Secondary Schools, noting that all stakeholders in education starting from President William Ruto himself, all parliamentary committees and other policy-makers recognise this as a priority investment in the sector.
The union argued that the recruitment would still leave JSS schools understaffed by nearly 73,000 teachers.
“KUPPET rejects the excuses being advanced through innuendo in the media to the effect that these projects have been affected by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024. The government’s goal should be the removal of wastage in its operations, not the withdrawal of benefits to workers.
“We are dismayed by casual statements being made by government functionaries on teachers’ welfare at a time when no less a person than the President has committed to look critically into the issues affecting our youth. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission, in particular, has sunk to the lowest depths imaginable in pliantly arming the government to subjugate workers,” the union added.
For the avoidance of doubt, KUPPET assured that the union and indeed all Kenyans will protect teachers’ and learners’ welfare with every weapon at its disposal.
The government was given one week to make progress on the four commitments within the one-week time period, failure to which schools would not be reopened in September, a matter which risks disrupting the school calendar of 2024.
“Should there be no progress on the four issues within seven days, the government should be well informed that schools will not open for the third term in September,” KUPPET warned.
President William Ruto issues KCPE exam papers at Kikuyu Township Primary School in Kiambu County on October 30, 2023. /PCS