KNUT Appeals to Teachers to Stop Online Attacks on Ruto’s Government For Better Bargaining Power
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has urged its members to stop attacking the ruling government as it is harming their bargaining power.
The union’s National Executive Council member, Alex Dunga, stated that constant attacks on the government and some union officials were undoing the progress made by KNUT in advocating for better teacher welfare.
Dunga claimed that some of the attacks through social media were targeting the ruling government, which could damage the union’s efforts to negotiate on behalf of teachers.
He revealed that the National Intelligence Service was monitoring teachers’ social media posts about the delayed salary increase, which could jeopardize the union’s fight for teachers’ interests.
Dunga urged teachers to refrain from criticizing leaders they expect to negotiate on their behalf and to give the national office time and space to work.
He noted that the union had negotiated for a non-monetary CBA with SRC from 2022-2026, but left a clause to revisit the agreement once the economy improves.
In October 2021, the union proposed a 60% pay rise across the board, which was reviewed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), who made another proposal of Ksh59 billion to the parliamentary Education Committee to be factored in the salary of teachers.
KNUT Appeals to Teachers to Stop Online Attacks on Ruto’s Government For Better Bargaining Power
Dunga assured teachers that each of them would receive a salary increase before the end of the current CBA, and this would see contributions to Sacco and BBF enhanced.
Dunga also called on Kenyans to embrace the Junior Secondary School policy instead of fighting it and advised that students be temporarily hosted in their respective primary schools to avoid overburdening parents with fee payments.
He suggested that primary school teachers with P1 certificates should be employed and that TSC should consider promoting teachers who had developed their careers despite obtaining grade C in the KCSE.
Dunga emphasized that the union had adopted a dialogue strategy instead of protests and urged members to contribute Ksh200 for benevolence despite low pay slips.
He concluded that KNUT had a task to ensure that teachers received good salaries and appealed for unity among members to achieve this goal.
