- The end of the strike came as a reprieve for parents and students especially given that third term is a critical period for the planning and administration of national exams.
- The push and pull within the Kuppet ranks forced the officials to break out of the meeting with TSC for internal consultations more than twice.
Image: HANDOUT
Internal cracks within the ranks and file of Kuppet played out on Monday, exposing the growing rifts among the union’s top officials even as a deal to call off the week-long teachers' strike was inked.
The sharp differences in the top echelons of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers occasioned a standoff during the union’s make-or-break meeting with the Teachers Service Commission.
The push and pull within the Kuppet ranks forced the officials to break out of the meeting with TSC for internal consultations more than twice before finally agreeing to the deal amid protests.
Top TSC officials led by commission chairperson Dr Jamleck Muturi and Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia walked into the meeting with what insiders said was a clear mind to resolve the matter.
When the commission tabled its offer, some union officials protested saying Kuppet needed time to consult its National Governing Council before making a decision.
On Sunday, the NGC, Kuppet’s highest decision-making organ, had endorsed the secondary school teachers’ strike and vowed that it should continue for the long haul until their demands are met.
Lifting the lid on the widening cracks in Kuppet during Monday’s meeting, Edward Obwocha, a top official and NEC member stormed out of the meeting insisting on a "concrete return-to-work formula".
Obwocha, the Kuppet secretary for secondary education, claimed that his colleagues were rushing to append their signatures before the union’s NGC could have the final say.
“As guided by the National Governing Council, we must have a clear return-to-work formula before any agreement is signed," Obwocha said as he walked out of the meeting at the TSC headquarters.
“Yesterday(Sunday), the NGC met and said that if there is a return-to-work formal, the document can be sent online for approval. They were in a hurry to sign without anything tangible but just promises."
When the union officials led by Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori appeared for a media briefing alongside TSC management, Obwocha snubbed the session.
The protestation from Obwocha, a high-ranking Kuppet official only exposed the deep-seated cracks within the union, especially at critical moments of decision-making.
Other officials are said to have quietly opposed the deal but could not come out with differences linked to internal squabbles.
Ahead of the Monday talks, Kuppet had framed their demands to TSC around the promotion of teachers who have acquired higher education qualifications.
The NGC had insisted that the promotion of the teachers whom the organ said had stagnated in the same job groups for decades would be the bare minimum Kuppet would ask for.
“Our struggle is not for the Sh1,050 increment. Teachers have loans to pay and may have invested in further education, yet without a review of career progression, their efforts are being undermined," Misori had said after the governing council meeting on Sunday.
“The employer has refused to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of teachers who have gone an extra mile to further their education, they have refused to promote these teachers, thereby denying them the dignity and the respect they deserve."
But when Kuppet officials walked out of the meeting with TSC on Monday evening after a long-day session, TSC said the promotions would be pegged on the availability of additional funds.
“The commission shall continue promoting teachers as and when budgetary allocations are availed by parliament. Negotiations for a new CBA will continue once Kuppet submits its memorandum of understanding,’’ Macharia said on Monday.
Kuppet had demanded that at least 130,000 teachers who have remained in the same job groups for decades should be promoted as part of its demands to TSC.
It would appear that Kuppet did not receive a concrete commitment from TSC on the issue of promotion of teachers, a key plank of its demands to the employer as the strike commenced.
But the Kuppet team scored big after it managed to convince TSC to reinstate an enhanced medical cover that would enable teachers to access services at both public and private hospitals.
“Our primary concern has been the implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). We have noted the challenges with the compromised medical cover, which has led to teachers being turned away from medical facilities even those with critical conditions. Thankfully, we have managed to restore the previously reduced medical allocation," said Misori after the meeting on Monday.
While calling off the strike, Misori said the union resolved to end the industrial action after the employer agreed to address the sticking issues that initially informed the work boycott.
“Additionally, significant strides have been made in addressing the long-overdue promotions, with the TSC now actively working to secure funds to promote as many teachers as possible," Misori said.
“In compliance with the court and to facilitate ongoing discussions, we have decided to suspend the strike and urge all our members to return to class. We are committed to ensuring that all the outstanding issues are resolved swiftly in collaboration with the commission."
The end of the strike came as a reprieve for parents and students especially given that the third term is a critical period for the planning and administration of national exams.