President WIlliam Ruto has assured teachers that their dues will be paid by the end of this month as the fully implements their demands anchored in the 2021 collective bargaining agreement
While welcoming the decision by The kenya national union of teachers to call of their strike, Ruto has assured their KUPPET counterpart that their pays will be deposited in the accounts by Friday this week
The head of state has said that the treasury has already disturbed 13 billion shilling to settle their pending dues to avoid learning disruption in the third learning term
“At the end of this month, all your dues will be paid so that you can continue teaching our children,” he said on Wednesday in Kuja, Nyatike Constituency, in Migori County.
But the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli urged KUPPET to keep their strike on if the govt does not make good its promises
According to Atwoli TSC should stop ‘bullying’ KUPPET with the court orders and get talks going.
Atwoli said a court order would only be useful as a tool to preempt a strike and not after the strike has started.
“TSC should humble themselves and get into negotiations table with KUPPET for the purpose of signing the return-to-work formula as there is already a commitment from government,” he said.
“If an arsonist who burns people houses has given you a notice that they will put your house on fire, are you going to give them a court order when they have already burnt your house, or before?” Atwoli posed explaining his position.
“If TSC can’t get to negotiations then the strike continues.”
Officials from the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education teachers have also criticized the high court order suspending the secondary teachers strike and filed by the Teachers service commission.
According to KUPPET SG Akelo Missouri, TSC has blatantly violated and disregarded the agreement deposited in court hence seeking court cover