By Munene Maina
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion has pointed an accusing finger to the Teacher Service Commission and the National Government for weakening teachers’ voices.
Sossion notes that before TSC started interfering with KNUT operations, the union had a membership representing over 73 percent of government hired teachers in primary and secondary schools and Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs).
“Within 12 months, June 2019 – June 2020, KNUT has lost over 78 percent of its membership to illegal and discriminative policies introduced by the teachers’ employers,” he states.
He cites the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) discrimination of KNUT members noting that TSC has executed two payrolls, membership validation, and unfair suspension and terminations as some of the challenges crippling the once-powerful union.
“TSC has gone against this clause 19 of the CBA by running two payrolls for the last 12 months,” he wrote in an opinion the piece carried by a local daily.
In October 2016, he says the union and TSC signed a CBA that awarded classroom teachers two-phase salary increment and school heads, deputies, and senior teachers four phases ending June 2021.
“Implementing pay structures of CBA applies to all employees of TSC duly registered, employed and assigned duties,” he states.
He says despite all the intimidations, the union will continue to champion for teachers’ rights.
