The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has formally rejected the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers’ (KUPPET) request to end the ongoing strike. In a letter to KUPPET Secretary Akelo Misori, the TSC insisted that the union must first comply with the court order issued on Tuesday, which mandated an end to the strike.
Cavin Anyuor, TSC’s Director of Legal Labor and Industrial Relations, emphasized that the union should immediately call off the strike to avoid further disruption of learning activities.
He pointed out that the TSC has already addressed the grievances previously raised by the union, and compliance with the court order is necessary to pave the way for a fresh round of discussions to resolve any remaining issues.
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This response underscores the TSC’s firm stance on ensuring that the strike ends in accordance with the legal directive before any further negotiations can take place.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has reiterated its position that the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) must comply with the court order to call off the ongoing strike. Cavin Anyuor, TSC’s Director of Legal Labor and Industrial Relations, stated that the union’s compliance is necessary to allow for continued bipartite negotiations on any unresolved grievances.
The TSC highlighted that the government has already allocated Ksh.13.5 billion for the implementation of the second phase of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which includes payment of teachers’ salary arrears dating back to July 1, 2024.
Meanwhile, Francis Atwoli, the Secretary-General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), has urged the TSC to engage in negotiations with KUPPET to establish a return-to-work formula. Atwoli criticized the TSC for using the court order to pressure the teachers into ending the strike, arguing that a more collaborative approach would be more effective in resolving the ongoing dispute.
Francis Atwoli, the Secretary-General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), has argued that the court order to stop the teachers’ strike would have been more effective had it been issued before the strike commenced.
He urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to engage in negotiations with the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) to sign a return-to-work formula, emphasizing that the government has already shown a commitment to resolving the issues at hand.
Atwoli’s comments came after the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi issued an order on Monday, August 26, 2024, directing secondary school teachers to halt their strike. This order was in response to an application filed by the TSC.
The court mandated that KUPPET members return to work pending further orders, which are scheduled to be issued on September 5, 2024. Atwoli stressed that if the TSC refuses to negotiate, the strike will likely continue, as the court order alone may not be enough to resolve the situation.
