The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has issued a strike notice, with the strike set to kick off on January 2nd, protesting the working conditions teachers have been subjected to. This comes a day after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) announced the continuation of the delocalization programme which will see 3,094 head teachers and principals transferred in January.
Among the reasons cited by KNUT include the withdrawal of the rights of teachers to promotions on account of merit, performance, on account of long service and on account of new and relevant higher qualifications as provided in the code of regulations and the schemes of service. Addressing the press in Nairobi, KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion said one shouldn’t withdraw the benefits a worker is enjoying, “On 2nd of May, TSC withdrew the schemes of service via a circular that introduced what we call career projections, guidelines that are not protected by the code of regulation and the CBA,” he said.
He again faulted the delocalization programme, which has been a contentious issue for a long time. TSC in a statement, has insisted that the affected teachers must report to their new places of work on time and that TSC County Directors should ensure the handing over and the taking over goes smoothly between December 28th and 31st, “Any issues by individual heads arising from the transfer will be handled by the receiving County Directors who have been advised accordingly,” read the TSC statement released on Tuesday evening. KNUT boss Sossion said the delocalization programme is disrupting families, “The family is the number one thing, don’t disrupt families of teachers and expect teachers to teach,” he affirmed.
Sossion said that some families have already separated and there are those which are under threat of separation, “This, we are not going to condone. It’s the biggest injustice the employer can execute,” he said. He stated that the action by TSC is a mere act of separating families and disrupting the stability of teaching and that when teachers are assured of their stability they’ll deliver better.