Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has denied reports
that it promised to promote 30,000 teachers during a consultative meeting with
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut). At the same time, Knut maintained that
the strike is still on pending a second meeting scheduled next week to iron out
the contentious labour issues. In two separate statements to newsrooms, the two
parties however stated that the daylong consultative meeting held Thursday was
successful. Both Knut and TSC say that they discussed promotions of teachers
among other items but deny a deal was reached to move staff to higher grades.
“There are no pending cases of promotion as all promotions are effected when
due, and within the framework of the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement
(CBA),” TSC said in a statement. The teachers’ employer explained that during
the meeting with Knut, there were no discussions of pending promotions. “It is
therefore misleading to teachers for anybody to appear to be committing TSC on
promotion of teachers outside the CBA framework and the existing policy. It
only creates unnecessary anxiety unwarranted expectations,” said Kihumba
Kamotho, TSC head of communication. Avoid becoming a victim of Fake News.
Subscribe to the Standard Group SMS service by texting ‘NEWS’ to 22840. The
statement further said that a retreat will be held between September 30 and
October 5 to deliberate further on the matters discussed. Knut secretary
general Wilson Sossion said that even through the meeting discussed all matters
affecting teachers, no agreement was arrived at to warrant calling of the
strike. “KNUT would like to categorically state that the Union has not vacated
its position on the proposed strike as the power of calling off the strike
rests with the National Executive Council (NEC). And by extension, the strike
will only be called off after TSC successfully addresses the fore-mentioned
issues,” said Sossion. ALSO READ: State makes key concessions in bid to
forestall strike He said that TSC and Knut mutually agreed to form a Monitoring
and Evaluation Committee which will work on the finer details of the
contentious issues. The issues he said include withdrawal of all circulars
which were crafted without the involvement of KNUT, withdrawal of Teacher
Delocalization policy, suspension of Teacher Professional Development, delayed
teacher promotions, and more importantly, withdrawal of Teacher Performance and
Appraisal Development (TPAD) and Performance Contracting (PC). “KNUT stresses
that all teachers in the Public Service should not entertain TPAD/PC or any
policy that will undermine or demean the teaching profession,” SAID Sossion.
The statement marked a strong point of departure with TSC, which insisted that
the policies were strongly in force. “All TSC programmes including Teacher
Appraisal System popularly known as TPAD will continue to be in place,” said
TSC. The certifications come as TSC is meeting Kenya Secondary School Heads
Association (Kessha) and Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) on the
contentious professional issues. Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers
(Kuppet) is also meeting the employer to discuss movement of the 3, 700
teachers from TSC to TVET payroll. ALSO READ: KNUT should call off planned
teachers’ strike Kuppet will also discuss promotions, start new CBA talks and
renegotiating house allowance to make it uniform across all municipalities,
which are currently county head quarters Knut has however written to TSC
cautioning the employer against discussing trade union issues with Kepsha and
Kessha. In a letter dated August 22, Knut demands an immediate withdrawal of
the invitation letter by TSC to Kessha officials. “We thus demand your
immediate recall of the invitation letter to Kessha and engage with relevant
entities known and recognised in law,” said Sossion in the letter. And today,
Sossion threw another caution: “We call on TSC not to engage non-parties to the
CBA in labour matters, for instance KESSHA and KEPSHA as industrial issues are
not within their purview,” Sossion said.
that it promised to promote 30,000 teachers during a consultative meeting with
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut). At the same time, Knut maintained that
the strike is still on pending a second meeting scheduled next week to iron out
the contentious labour issues. In two separate statements to newsrooms, the two
parties however stated that the daylong consultative meeting held Thursday was
successful. Both Knut and TSC say that they discussed promotions of teachers
among other items but deny a deal was reached to move staff to higher grades.
“There are no pending cases of promotion as all promotions are effected when
due, and within the framework of the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement
(CBA),” TSC said in a statement. The teachers’ employer explained that during
the meeting with Knut, there were no discussions of pending promotions. “It is
therefore misleading to teachers for anybody to appear to be committing TSC on
promotion of teachers outside the CBA framework and the existing policy. It
only creates unnecessary anxiety unwarranted expectations,” said Kihumba
Kamotho, TSC head of communication. Avoid becoming a victim of Fake News.
Subscribe to the Standard Group SMS service by texting ‘NEWS’ to 22840. The
statement further said that a retreat will be held between September 30 and
October 5 to deliberate further on the matters discussed. Knut secretary
general Wilson Sossion said that even through the meeting discussed all matters
affecting teachers, no agreement was arrived at to warrant calling of the
strike. “KNUT would like to categorically state that the Union has not vacated
its position on the proposed strike as the power of calling off the strike
rests with the National Executive Council (NEC). And by extension, the strike
will only be called off after TSC successfully addresses the fore-mentioned
issues,” said Sossion. ALSO READ: State makes key concessions in bid to
forestall strike He said that TSC and Knut mutually agreed to form a Monitoring
and Evaluation Committee which will work on the finer details of the
contentious issues. The issues he said include withdrawal of all circulars
which were crafted without the involvement of KNUT, withdrawal of Teacher
Delocalization policy, suspension of Teacher Professional Development, delayed
teacher promotions, and more importantly, withdrawal of Teacher Performance and
Appraisal Development (TPAD) and Performance Contracting (PC). “KNUT stresses
that all teachers in the Public Service should not entertain TPAD/PC or any
policy that will undermine or demean the teaching profession,” SAID Sossion.
The statement marked a strong point of departure with TSC, which insisted that
the policies were strongly in force. “All TSC programmes including Teacher
Appraisal System popularly known as TPAD will continue to be in place,” said
TSC. The certifications come as TSC is meeting Kenya Secondary School Heads
Association (Kessha) and Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) on the
contentious professional issues. Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers
(Kuppet) is also meeting the employer to discuss movement of the 3, 700
teachers from TSC to TVET payroll. ALSO READ: KNUT should call off planned
teachers’ strike Kuppet will also discuss promotions, start new CBA talks and
renegotiating house allowance to make it uniform across all municipalities,
which are currently county head quarters Knut has however written to TSC
cautioning the employer against discussing trade union issues with Kepsha and
Kessha. In a letter dated August 22, Knut demands an immediate withdrawal of
the invitation letter by TSC to Kessha officials. “We thus demand your
immediate recall of the invitation letter to Kessha and engage with relevant
entities known and recognised in law,” said Sossion in the letter. And today,
Sossion threw another caution: “We call on TSC not to engage non-parties to the
CBA in labour matters, for instance KESSHA and KEPSHA as industrial issues are
not within their purview,” Sossion said.