On 29 September 2020, the National Executive Board (NEB) met with two teachers who presented a memorandum of issues related to the recruitment, remuneration, and Career progression challenges by teachers with Diploma qualifications.
Among the issues canvassed in the memo were:
- The stagnation of Diploma teachers In lob Group C2;
- The slow promotion of Diploma teachers who have obtained BEd degrees, and
- The introduction of a new Marking Scheme for teacher recruitment that has lowered the scores for Diploma teachers
During the meeting, the NEB members appraised the teachers on the framework of negotiations under the Collective Bargaining process. Regrettably, a lie is being peddled that KUPPET promised to provide a solution to the aforementioned issues within 14 days.
In response to KUPPET’s supposed failure to meet the deadline, the teachers have called on their colleagues to resign from KUPPET or form another union, ostensibly to enable them to revert to the Schemes of Service which, in their opinion, carried better terms for the teachers.
After being seized with the plight of Diploma and other low-cadre teachers since the commencement of the new round of CBA negotiations on 22 August 2019, it would be counterproductive for KUPPET to set unrealistic deadlines for the determination of the issues Slow promotions, for instance, affects nearly three-quarters of KUPPET membership.
The implementation of Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) under the CBA has brought tremendous gains for teachers, compared to the situation that was obtained when promotions were based strictly on the Schemes of Service.
Given the clear misrepresentation of the facts of our meeting, the credibility of the two teachers who presented the memorandum to KUPPET has been called into question.
Their incessant social media posts, which I invite all union members to read, also betray ignorance of labor relations processes established by Kenyan and international law. To cite just one example, the representatives are now demanding that Diploma teachers be paid the same house allowances as graduate teachers.
Henceforth, I and other officials at all levels will continue to engage Diploma teachers on all issues affecting them individually Members with grievances should channel them through the established union structures, starting from the Branches. In Solidarity,
AKELO M.T. Misori.
Secretary-General
