KUPPET threatens nationwide strike if CBA talks fail to kick off in seven days

KUPPET threatens nationwide strike if CBA talks fail to kick off in seven days

The union has warned that the employer's failure to initiate talks within the stipulated period could trigger a nationwide teachers’ strike and other forms of industrial action.

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), demanding the immediate commencement of negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The union has warned that the employer's failure to initiate talks within the stipulated period could trigger a nationwide teachers’ strike and other forms of industrial action.

According to KUPPET, the current CBA, signed in 2021, is due to expire on June 30, 2025. However, the union insists that negotiations for the next agreement, covering the 2025–2029 period, must begin immediately to avoid a lapse that could expose teachers to financial and professional uncertainty.

KUPPET has already written to the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Dr Alfred Mutua, urging him to intervene and facilitate the negotiation process.

Union officials expressed concern that the TSC has remained unresponsive, even after being formally served with a letter requesting the initiation of talks.

KUPPET Chairperson, Omboko Milemba, called on the TSC, the Ministry of Labour and the National Assembly’s Education Committee to act responsibly and urgently address the plight of teachers.

KUPPET stressed that teachers should not be left in limbo once the current agreement lapses, warning that any failure to conclude a new CBA before the June deadline would result in a major standoff with the government, reminiscent of past disputes.

“We have given the government seven days to address the issue of the Collective Bargaining Agreement because we do not want our members to be left overexposed after June 30. If they fail to finalise a new CBA with us in time, they should prepare for serious industrial action, just like what happened last year,” said Akello Misori, KUPPET Secretary-General.

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