Bungoma North KNUT branch Secretary General Seme Sunguti has called upon the national leadership of the union to work in unison and fight for the rights of teachers saying the teachers at the grass root level are optimistic of getting a pay rise.
Sunguti said they had pushed for the national office to explore all the avenues possible to enable the teachers get their September salaries as well as have the 50-60% pay rise effected saying they expected their officials to have a dialogue with the president but they went overboard.
“We only intended for the officials to negotiate over the two important issues but instead they sort to bargain for a new collective bargaining agreement which we are disputing as we already have one under contention because we cannot abandon it just like that.” He said
He however faulted the delay in release of the September salaries even after the president ordered the Teachers Service Commission to pay them saying most of the teachers had acquired loans in banks and are going through a tough time to try and repay them in time.
With the National Election Council of the union meeting Sunguti urged them to ensure the national leadership of the union does not develop cracks and individual interests in tackling the teachers’ issues as they have to fight until the end for the pay rise.
He further called upon them to move to the Supreme Court to contest the nullification of the 50-60% that had been awarded and later quashed saying the government is in a position to comfortably pay the teachers and should not develop excuses.
“The Salary and Remuneration Commission should not be included in the teachers pay rise matters as they will be dictating on when to administer a pay rise to the teachers at their own volition which should not be the case.” He said.