The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) may be headed to court after talks with the Teachers Service Commission over several issues affecting its members collapsed.
After weeks of talks, through an arbitrator, a Government report has recommended an alternative dispute resolution to the impasse.Conciliation efforts by Ministry of Labour flopped as both parties held hardline stances in a standoff that threatens to disrupt learning in public schools.
Knut and TSC have differed over promotions, transfers, appraisal tools and professional development of teachers.
Knut and TSC have sharply differed on these issues. The mediator’s report has faulted TSC on most of the issues.Labour CS Ukur Yattani appointed Charles Maranga to lead the mediation team.The team has recommended creation of a joint industrial council to carry on with the mediation.
The report states that 11,950 teachers have not been promoted, faults transfer of union officials by their employer and accuses TSC of not consulting the union on policy shifts. It also accuses Knut of giving inaccurate data.
Contrary to Knut’s claim that 3,094 teachers had appealed their transfers, the team found that there were only 278 cases.
Knut said 30,000 teachers who had advanced their education to get better pay or promotion had been waiting for the last four years to be elevated.The seven-member conciliation committee heard that the last time teachers were promoted was in 2014.
“Some teachers are due to retire after serving in the same grade for 15 years despite excelling in their careers and having clean records of service delivery,” said Knut.
Knut had said TSC went against the 2016-2021 CBA to introduce new regulations on promotions. It said TSC should have used the existing scheme of service that detailed career progression for non-graduate teachers, graduate teachers, technical teachers and lecturers.