KNUT advise its members not to sign performance contracts

KNUT advise its members not to sign performance contracts

Joseph Amunya

Kenya National Union of Teachers, KNUT has asked its members not to sign performance contracts as instructed by the Teachers Service Commission.

Addressing hundreds of teachers during the union’s Lugari branch elections that were held at St. Luke’s Lumakanda Boys High School, KNUT national treasurer John Matiang’i said no teacher should take and sign performance contracts forms and asked the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to respect the terms and conditions under which teachers are employed.

“Teachers countrywide don’t want to hear the nonsense about performance contracts because already their terms of service are very clear, in which all teachers under the TSC are on permanent and pensionable terms,” said the union’s treasurer.

On the ongoing Common Bargaining Agreement (CBA) deliberations between KNUT and TSC, the official asked the latter to honour its previous proposal, in which it had proposed a 50-60% salary hike for teachers.

“Why don’t TSC give us what it had proposed?” wondered Matiangi who was flanked by Mumias branch executive secretary Mr. John Wesonga who is also the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) member.

Matiang’i has given the government up end of this month, a period in which  it should release contents of the CBA to the public, “and if there will be no CBA by 27th February  then teachers will have no other option except recourse to industrial action,” he warned.

“We will go back to the roads to dance the way we’ve danced in the past,” added Matiang’i.

The official dismissed the recent annual leave allowances awarded to teachers, terming it as a ploy to scuttle the union’s efforts to have its members get salary increments.

“Teachers should not be duped into submission by recent annual allowances,” cautioned Matiangi who added that besides enabling teachers to secure loans, it was only from the basic salary that dues for retired teachers were calculated.

During elections, Mr. Kefa Kisali, Mr. Makhanu Namwinguli and Mr. David Mwandiche trounced their opponents to retain Lugari KNUT branch’s Chairperson, Executive Secretary and Treasurer seats respectively.

This comes as Mrs. Dinah Mwaita a TSC representative has asked the teachers to embrace performance contracting and appraisal system as they are only meant to enhance quality education.