Enough Is Enough! Teachers Accuse TSC Of CBA Lies, Announce Nationwide Strike Starting This Date

admin | June 17, 2025 | TSC NEWS | No Comments

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Angry Teachers Declare Nationwide Strike Starting This Date After Accusing TSC Of CBA Deception .

A major crisis is brewing in Kenya’s education sector, as teachers from across the country prepare to launch a nationwide strike starting July 1, 2025, following what unions are calling outright betrayal by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over the stalled implementation of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The simmering tension, which has been building for months, finally reached boiling point when major unions, including the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET), issued a 14-day ultimatum demanding TSC honour the deal or face a crippling strike.

Teachers Say “Enough is Enough”

The teachers’ unions allege that the TSC has consistently dodged negotiations, failed to provide any meaningful salary adjustment proposal, and completely disregarded earlier promises made under the current CBA. KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori expressed deep frustration, stating that the commission’s unwillingness to engage in fresh CBA talks is not only reckless but insulting to the teaching profession.

“Teachers have been left in the cold for too long. TSC’s continuous delays and empty assurances amount to dishonesty. We’re tired of being taken in circles,” Misori lamented.

Misori emphasized that despite the expiration of the current CBA being just weeks away, the commission has neither initiated new discussions nor allocated any funds in the upcoming 2025/2026 budget to facilitate negotiations for the next agreement.

A Betrayal That Cuts Deep

KNUT’s Deputy Secretary-General, Hesbon Otieno, further criticized the commission’s silence and lack of action. He revealed that despite having submitted salary review proposals months ago, the TSC has done little besides citing “advice awaited from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC)” — a stance the union now sees as a deliberate tactic to stall progress.

“The TSC’s silence is not administrative delay. It is a direct threat to classroom stability and a blow to teachers’ dignity,” Otieno warned.

Unions have proposed salary increases ranging from 30% to 70%, as well as the restructuring of career progression guidelines, introduction of new allowances, and harmonization of pay scales for special needs and technical teachers. So far, none of these proposals has seen the light of day.

Retired Teachers Still Chasing Justice From 1997

As active teachers rally for their rights, over 52,000 retired educators continue a decades-long battle for payment of dues dating back to a 1997 CBA. The courts, including the Supreme Court, have ruled in their favour — awarding Ksh 43 billion in arrears and pension. Yet, successive governments and TSC administrations have repeatedly ignored the verdicts.

Many of these retirees served under difficult conditions in rural and underfunded schools, and their pleas for justice have been met with bureaucratic indifference.

“We gave our lives to education, and this is how we’re repaid? Some of our colleagues have died waiting. We feel forgotten,” said Philip Waweru, Secretary of the Retired Teachers Association.

TSC’s Leadership in Question

Currently, TSC is under the stewardship of an acting CEO following Nancy Macharia’s exit. However, the unions argue that leadership is not the problem — political will is.

“There’s no leadership vacuum. What’s missing is goodwill. Teachers feel ignored by the very system meant to protect their welfare,” Misori emphasized.

The unions maintain that continued silence from the commission signals a larger issue: the government’s apparent disregard for the teaching profession.

Government’s Empty Promises?

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba had earlier promised to implement the salary arrears under the current CBA. He announced the release of Ksh 13.5 billion for July and August 2024 arrears. However, teachers say these were one-time payments and did not address the long-term demands of the CBA.

Ogamba now appeals for patience, citing financial difficulties due to the scrapping of the Finance Bill 2024 and the annulment of the Finance Act 2023, which have constrained government revenue.

“We understand the teachers’ frustrations, but let us approach this through dialogue. A strike will only hurt our children,” said the Cabinet Secretary.

Despite his plea, union leaders believe dialogue has failed. They say they’ve waited too long and the only option left is to strike.

The Clock is Ticking: What Happens Next?

With the 14-day notice nearing its deadline and schools set to reopen for the third term, the likelihood of a nationwide teachers’ strike starting July 1 has never been more real.

Teachers say they are ready to down their tools if no concrete offer is presented. If the strike proceeds, over 300,000 teachers will boycott classrooms, potentially paralysing learning across the country.

This would be the most significant industrial action in Kenya’s education sector since the 2015 strike, which saw schools shut down for nearly five weeks.

Why This Matters for Every Kenyan

The implications of this looming crisis go far beyond the classroom. If teachers strike:

Pupils and students will lose valuable learning time during a critical academic period.

Parents may be forced to make alternative arrangements for their children.

National exams scheduled for later in the year could be affected.

Public trust in the education system will erode further.

In addition, this conflict highlights deep-seated structural problems in Kenya’s education financing, labour relations, and governance accountability.

The Unions’ Final Word

The unions have made it clear: they are not bluffing.

“If by the deadline there is no response, no offer, no genuine engagement, then we shall begin a full-blown nationwide strike from Monday, July 1, 2025. No school will open. No teacher will report to class,” Otieno confirmed.

They also called on parents, students, and the public to understand that the strike is not about selfish interests — it is about restoring dignity, fairness, and respect to the teaching profession.