KUPPET Vihiga branch Executive Secretary Sabala Inyeni has reproved the union’s executive board for disregarding guidelines after it called off the teachers’ strike un-procedurally and without conducting consultations.
His remarks come after the union’s National Executive Board (NEB) called off the teachers’ strike on Monday evening.
Inyeni said that even though the union’s NEB came to an agreement with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), it would have been wise of them to inform the branches of the same before going forward to call off the strike.
“Teachers are not electrical switch to be put on or off at any time, there was dire need to inform the teachers of how every demand we had made will be catered for. It is very wrong of Misori to call off the strike when he is fully aware that the teachers have not received all that they had asked for. It is heinous to summon teachers for the strike and at the end of the day tell them the strike is off. What does the national office take us for?” he posed.
Inyeni spoke during a meeting with branch officials drawn from Central, Rift Valley, and Western regions in Kisumu.
Also present was Kisii branch Executive Secretary Joseph Abincha, who called for the resignation of Misori and other NEB officials for what they termed as betraying teachers’ needs.
Abincha said as far as the teachers are concerned, the strike was still on since the issues that they had tabled before TSC were not fully addressed as they expected.
“We have not called off the strike; our strike is on, give us the memo that shows that we have called off the strike. We cannot be told that after calling off the strike, we are going to meet and ratify which one comes first?” he posed.
“Parents, I know it has been a hard time for you, but it has happened this way and our struggle continues we can’t promise you what happens next because our issues have not been fully addressed as we expected,” Abincha said.
Akelo Misori called off the teachers’ strike following an agreement with TSC assuring that no teacher would be victimised.
“From the union side, we suspend the strike and ask all our teachers to go back to class pending the speedy resolution of these matters as already agreed on between us and the commission,” he said.
Misori said further communication will be made by the union based on the outcome of a court ruling expected on Thursday.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia said that the parties agreed to pursue alternative dispute resolution as provided for in the recognition agreement between the union and the commission.
By Vostine Ratemo
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