The Secret KNUT-TSC Deal That Completely Killed KNUT
The ‘historical’ deal signed between the kenya national union of teachers, KNUT and the teachers service commission, TSC, has weakened KNUT’s bargaining powers to irredeemable levels.
Fresh details show that the new deal will lock out head teachers, limit Knut membership to primary school teachers and reduce branches, against the teachers’ expectations concerning KNUT.
All these secret changes were introduced through the cashless collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that KNUT signed with TSC on 12TH July 2021.
Even though KNUT and TSC did not divulge the finer details of the deal, leaked documents show KNUT was duped into signing away more than they received.
Read also:
New KNUT-TSC Deal Unlocks Teacher Professional Development (TPD) Courses For TPAD Gaps
The Fleshy Ksh. 600M consent That Left KNUT With No Choice But To Opt For A Cashless CBA
The 2021-2025 CBA Between teachers and TSC
New Intern Teachers Will Be Contracted In December: TSC
School Timetables to be reviewed To recover time lost to CBC
MOE Grilled Over Ksh. 105M Overpayment
New Research Shows That CBC Has Reduced Learners’ Ability To Read In English And Kiswahili
Havi Swears To Challenge CBC In Court
TSC Recruitment Letters Out- How To Claim Yours
Knut, for instance, finally agreed that its members could now be promoted in line with the Career Progression Guidelines (CPGs), contrary to a 2019 court ruling that Knut members should not be subjected to the CPGs but rather be promoted according to the Schemes of Service for Teachers. This matter has been a bone of contention between the union and the TSC, who finally found their way through Oyuu.
The contention resulted in the members being left out of promotions and CBA benefits, pushing most of them to quit the union from July 2019.
“To standardise the terms and conditions of service and align the grading structure with the job evaluation results of 2016, parties hereby mutually agree to replace the Schemes of Service for Teachers and to formally adopt the provisions of CPGs as per the employer’s Circular No.7 of 2018,” reads the agreement.
The CBA required the parties to review their former recognition agreement in favour of a new one that introduces the changes.
The new document has never been made public to the members.
“Parties mutually agree that this agreement revokes the recognition agreement by the parties dated May 15 1968,” it reads.
Since the agreement has already been signed, the over 20000 headteachers in the country are now non-members of KNUT, further reducing its membership. More shockingly, TSC initially intended to lock out of membership about 80,000 teachers, including deputy headteachers and senior teachers.
“Parties mutually agree that a headteacher and/or a teacher acting in the position of a headteacher shall not be a member of the union,” the document reads.
According to the agreement, Knut will now only represent primary school teachers, yet Its constitution allows teachers from all cadres to become members.
“Member refers to a primary school teacher who does not fall under the defined constituency of any other union and have successfully subscribed to the union,” the agreement reads.
Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu defended the new agreement, saying it was necessary to protect the union’s main constituency, because more teachers’ unions have been registered.
“Other unions have ring-fenced their membership. There’s even another union that has applied for registration targeting primary school teachers. Suppose that union is registered, where will that leave us? We’ll be finished,” he explained.
The new TSC-Knut agreement also states that the union’s branches will be collapsed from 110 to 47 with effect from July 1, 2026. Oyuu however said that the reduction of branches aims at improving Knut management and services, saying some branches like Kuria East have less than 400 members.
