Call off strike before we meet, TSC tells Kuppet

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will not meet with the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) until the union calls off the ongoing teachers’ strike.

In response to a request by the union for a meeting, the commission said that although it was ready to engage the union, the latter should comply with a court order that suspended the strike on Tuesday.

In a letter addressed to the secretary-general of Kuppet, Akello Misori, the TSC director for legal labour and industrial relations Cavin Anyuor said that the commission has implemented the final phase of the 2021 – 2025 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and paid teachers arrears backdated to July 1 2024.

Mr Misori had earlier in the day written to the TSC boss Nancy Macharia requesting for a meeting on Thursday afternoon. However, the proposed talks now appear headed for a standoff.

“The commission has also resolved all grievances raised by the union. To this end, in compliance with the terms of the court order dated August 28 2024 and duly served upon yourselves, it is the commission’s position that the union complies with the court order and withdraw the ongoing industrial action to enable parties continue with the bipartite negotiations on any unresolved grievance,” reads the letter by Mr Anyuor.

“The commission is ready to engage with you at the earliest opportunity once you comply with the orders of the court.

The court order was issued on Tuesday after the strike started on Monday and Kuppet has moved to court seeking its interpretation. Mr Misori told NTV that only the national governing council of the union has the power to call off the strike.

On Wednesday, the secretary-general of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions Francis Atwoli termed the court order “bullying” by the TSC. Kuppet officials on Thursday also met the chair of the Education Committee of the National Assembly to discuss the matter.

dmuchunguh@ke.nationmedia.com