How fights over Kuppets almost ruined a last-minute TSC deal.
There were cracks in Kuppet’s ranks and file on Monday, which showed the rising splits among the union’s top leaders at the same time that a deal was signed to end the week-long teachers’ strike.
In the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers, there were big disagreements at the top that led to a standoff at their important meeting with the Teachers Service Commission.
Officials from Kuppet had to leave the meeting with TSC more than twice to talk to other people in the company before they finally agreed to the deal, even though there were protests.
Insiders say that the top TSC officials, led by commission chairperson Dr. Jamleck Muturi and CEO Nancy Macharia, came to the meeting with a clear head to solve the problem.
Some union leaders spoke out against the commission’s offer, saying Kuppet needed time to talk to its National Governing Council before making a choice.
The NGC, Kuppet’s top decision-making body, supported the secondary school teachers’ strike on Sunday and said it would go on for a long time until their demands are met.
Edward Obwocha, a top official and NEC member, walked out of Monday’s meeting demanding a “concrete return-to-work formula.” He did this by revealing that Kuppet’s cracks were getting bigger.
Obwocha, the Kuppet secretary for secondary education, said that his coworkers were running to sign before the NGC of the union could have the last word.
Before we sign any deal, we need a clear plan for getting back to work, as told by the National Governing Council,” Obwocha said as he left the meeting at the TSC headquarters.
“The NGC met on Sunday and agreed that if there is a formal form for going back to work, it can be sent online for approval.” They were in a hurry to sign without having anything real to offer.
When union leaders led by Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori showed up for a media briefing with TSC management, Obwocha skipped the meeting.
Obwocha’s protest, which came from a high-ranking Kuppet member, only showed how deeply the union was split, especially when decisions had to be made quickly.
Other officials are said to have been against the deal in secret but couldn’t say so because of disagreements within the government.
Kuppet had told TSC ahead of the Monday talks that one of their main requests was for teachers with college degrees to be promoted.
It was made clear by the NGC that the very least Kuppet would ask for was the promotion of teachers who had been stuck in the same job groups for decades.
“We’re not fighting for the extra Sh1,050.” As Misori said after the governing council meeting on Sunday, “Teachers have loans to pay back and may have spent money on further education, but their efforts are being harmed without a review of career progression.”
The employer has refused to recognize the hard work and commitment of teachers who have gone above and beyond to help students learn. They have also refused to promote these teachers, which is an insult to their intelligence and professionalism.
But when officials from Kuppet left the meeting with TSC on Monday night after a long day, TSC said the raises would depend on how much extra money was available.
“The commission will keep promoting teachers as long as the parliament makes money available for it.” Macharia said on Monday that talks for a new CBA will continue once Kuppet turns in its letter of understanding.
As part of its requests to TSC, Kuppet wanted at least 130,000 teachers who had been in the same job groups for decades to be moved up.
It looks like Kuppet did not get a firm promise from TSC about promoting teachers, which was one of the main things it asked of the boss before the strike.
But the Kuppet team really did well when they were able to get TSC to reinstate better medical coverage for teachers. This would let them get care at both public and private hospitals.
“The implementation of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has been our main concern.” There have been problems with the teachers’ medical coverage, which has caused them to be turned away from hospitals, even when they were in very bad shape. “Thank goodness, we were able to get the previously cut medical budget back,” Misori said after Monday’s meeting.
Misori ended the strike by saying that the union had decided to do so after the boss agreed to fix the problems that led to the work boycott in the first place.
Misori also said, “Important progress has been made on the long-overdue promotions, and the TSC is now actively working to secure funds to promote as many teachers as possible.”
“To follow the court’s order and make it easier to keep talking, we’ve decided to end the strike and ask all of our members to come back to class.” We are committed to working with the commission to quickly solve all the problems that still need to be fixed.
There was some relief for parents and students when the strike ended, especially since the third term is a busy time for planning and giving national tests.
How fights over Kuppets almost ruined a last-minute TSC deal.
