No Return-to-Work Agreements Signed Between TSC and KUPPET.
It has emerged that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the government had decided not to sign any return-to-work agreements at the end of teachers’ strike. No such document was signed yesterday according to The Standard.
Instead, they read the same statement from the Kenya School of Government meeting, delivering a significant blow to Kuppet.
The Kenya School of Government promised both KNUT and KUPPET Sh13 billion for the second phase of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which was the highest amount the unions had requested.
Following the release of the billions for CBA, it became evident that the government was unwilling to provide any additional funds.
The two unions were also told that junior secondary school (JSS) teachers would be hired on a permanent and pension basis in January.
The teachers’ employer chaired a meeting where they announced the resumption of their medical coverage, following a refusal by medical care providers to provide services due to outstanding dues.
The unions also demanded the return of third-party deductions, which included money teachers borrowed from banks and saccos but failed to pay back to creditors despite having it deducted from their pay slips.
During the meeting two weeks ago, TSC announced that the reimbursement process was complete.
Strike Suspension
Following a day-long meeting between the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Kuppet called off the teachers’ strike, which had halted learning in secondary schools for a week.
On Monday evening, Kuppet called off the strike and ordered all public secondary school teachers to resume their responsibilities. The declaration came after allegations of arm-twisting and noncompliance with the teachers’ demands.
The union officials said the decision was influenced by recent progress on the key problems that sparked the strike action. However, there was controversy surrounding the agreement’s completion.
According to sources familiar with the talks, the parties disagreed at various stages, resulting in the lengthy meeting. The press conference, which the TSC had scheduled for 2.30 pm, took place after 5.40 pm.
Kuppet’s secretary for secondary education, Edward Obwocha, came out of the conference, demanding a definite return-to-work formula. He did not attend the union and TSC’s joint press conference.
“We did not sign a return-to-work formula as claimed. The secretary-general signed a press statement instead, purported to be a legal document. Show me the return-to-work formula document as we know it; there is none,” Mr Obwocha said.
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Kuppt Secretary General Akelo Misori stated that the extended halt in learning caused anxiety and dissatisfaction among parents who were concerned about their children’s academic progress. Additionally, the extended halt in learning left students uncertain about their ability to resume their studies and prepare for end-of-year exams.
The union expressed tremendous empathy for the challenges suffered by both parents and pupils, recognizing the strike’s emotional and educational toll.
No Return-to-Work Agreements Signed Between TSC and KUPPET.
