Teachers in Rarieda and Bondo sub counties are ready to down their tools in support of industrial action by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).
According to the union’s Rarieda and Bondo branch executive committees, all arrangements, including required notices to the police, have been issued ahead of the strike scheduled to kick off on Monday August 26.
Addressing the media at Ruma primary school where he chaired the branch executive committee meeting Thursday, Rarieda Branch Executive Secretary Willis Odhach Achola warned KNUT headquarters against calling off the strike without the government meeting all the conditions that teachers gave their employer, the Teachers’ Service Commission.
“We urge and demand from KNUT that the strike must be on until the six conditions which teachers mandated KNUT to give TSC are implemented,” he said.
He called on teachers to ignore TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia’s calls urging them to stop the strike, adding that the employer has been frustrating them.
Addressing the media in Bondo town, Bondo Branch Executive Secretary George Ajwang’ said they have issued the local police with notices, adding that effective Monday, teachers would hold peaceful demonstrations in Bondo town and other urban centres to push for implementation of their demands.
Ajwang’ said no school would operate and urged parents not to release their children.
Bondo Branch KNUT chairman Isaiah Okeyo Makoulo lamented that teachers were frustrated whenever they visited hospitals for medication as the facilities turned them back due to failure by TSC to remit deductions.
“We lost our medical allowance because of the medical scheme and it is very unfortunate that teachers are frustrated whenever they visit any facility,” said Makoulo.
The six demands that the teachers want implemented before calling off the strike are implementation of phase two of the 2021 – 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement, confirmation into Permanent and Pensionable employment of 46,000 Junior Secondary School teachers currently engaged as interns, promotion of over 130,000 teachers who have stagnated in one Job Group for ten years and above, release of third party deductions, remittance of medical funds to AON insurance scheme and immediate payment of retirement benefits to those who retire from public service.
By Philip Onyango
