JSS Teachers Dismiss TSC-KUPPET Return-To-Work Deal, Citing Betrayal
The ongoing strike by Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers has been marred by confusion due to conflicting statements from various lobbies.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (Kuppet) previously announced it had brokered a deal with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to end the strike.
Kuppet reported that TSC agreed to hire JSS teachers on permanent terms in the next financial year, ending the three-week strike.
Akello Misori, Kuppet’s Secretary General, confirmed that show-cause letters issued to striking teachers would be withdrawn, and emphasized that JSS teachers, not being union members, could not engage in a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Misori added that punishing teachers for legitimate labor action would destabilize the sector.
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Kuppet pledged to lobby parliament for an allocation of Sh8.3 billion to ensure the 26,000 intern teachers hired in January 2023 would receive permanent and pensionable terms starting July this year.
However, a section of JSS teachers dismissed this return-to-work deal as a betrayal by some of their leaders.
Daniel Murithi, spokesperson for the Kenya Junior School Teachers Association, alleged that officials were urged to call off the strike without any commitment from TSC.
Murithi stressed that their demands include the confirmation of 46,000 intern teachers, and any agreement must involve TSC or Parliament’s labor committee.
He urged JSS teachers to wait for a planned meeting with the labor committee, maintaining the strike until a formal agreement is signed.
Last year, Kuppet demanded that Sh4.68 billion allocated for new recruitment be used strictly for permanent and pensionable employment, with additional funds for converting the second cohort of teachers hired last September to permanent terms.
The National Assembly Committee on Education chairperson Julius Melly announced Sh8.3 billion had been allocated to employ 26,000 contract teachers permanently, excluding 20,000 others.
Melly told the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) that TSC should streamline the recruitment process to fully utilize allocated resources, converting 26,000 interns to permanent employees by July 2024 instead of January 2025.
The committee also recommended TSC evaluate staff norms within six months to assess optimal teacher numbers for future recruitment and deployment.
On Saturday, Kuppet reiterated support for the teachers’ demand for permanent employment, aligning with an Employment and Labour Relations Court judgment deeming the internship terms illegal and unconstitutional.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) leadership also expressed readiness to mediate between the striking teachers and TSC, demanding retraction of “show cause” letters sent to 7,357 teachers.
The TSC’s letters accused striking teachers of professional misconduct for absenteeism, warning of potential termination unless valid reasons were provided.
Behind the scenes, Knut and Kuppet have been vying for representation of JSS teachers, whose inclusion would boost union membership and dues.
Despite these overtures, officials of the JSS teachers‘ lobby stated they would not join either union but form their own.
This lobby has been actively mobilizing their colleagues to strike for permanent employment.
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Currently, Knut primarily draws members from primary schools, while Kuppet’s membership comes from post-secondary institutions.
In total, there are 219,727 primary and 125,563 secondary school teachers, though not all are union members. Non-member teachers benefiting from union-negotiated deals still pay agency fees monthly.
JSS Teachers Dismiss TSC-KUPPET Return-To-Work Deal, Citing Betrayal
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