Siaya KNUT Branch Ready for Teachers Strike

Teachers during a past strike. Photo | BBC

Speaking to this writer the branch secretary Mr. Peter Wanyang said right now “It’s a wait and see situation. As an elected official at the branch, we are waiting to strike. I fully support the national office.”

On Friday through the National Secretary-general of the union Mr. Collins Oyuu, KNUT issued a fresh seven-day ultimatum to the government.

In the statement Knut cites frustrations saying they communicated their grievances to the Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Labour but no action has been taken so far.

“I have today issued a strike notice,” said Mr. Oyuu, adding “Teachers shall down their tools and withdraw their labour and schools will not open until this matter is resolved. We have communicated to the employer several times but they have not responded.”

Oyuu said the strike notice has been sanctioned by the National Executive Council on behalf of all KNUT branches through their executive secretaries to ensure teachers withdraw labour upon expiry of the notice.

Both primary and secondary school teachers are in on this strike as together the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and KNUT on August 7 outlined six issues they wanted addressed failure to which teachers would go on strike from August 26.

Collins Oyuu (center) flanked by branch secretaries as he made the fresh strike calls on Friday 16 August, 2014. Photo | NMG

The demands outlined are a full implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), conversion of Junior Secondary School teachers, recruitment of 20,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, and implementation of the second phase of the Addendum effective from July 1, 2024, for all teachers, including basic salaries and allowances.