KNUT and KUPPET at Loggerheads over JSS Union Membership
The ongoing dispute involves the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) regarding the membership of Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers. KNUT has expressed strong opposition to TSC’s decision to register JSS teachers under the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) instead of KNUT.
According to KNUT, they believe that JSS teachers in public primary schools should automatically be considered members of their union, only having the option to leave and join KUPPET voluntarily. The heart of the matter lies in union membership and how this move might impact KNUT’s ability to negotiate on behalf of its members.
In response to the perceived threat to their membership, KNUT representatives have issued a warning that they will pursue legal action if TSC proceeds with its plan to transfer more than 30,000 JSS teachers from KNUT membership to KUPPET. The union sees this decision as an attempt to undermine their bargaining power when advocating for the rights and welfare of their members.
Furthermore, during the Eldoret West KNUT branch’s Annual General Meeting, Mercy Ndung’u, the KNUT’s 2nd National Women Representative, addressed the press at Bishop Delany Mixed Secondary School in Eldoret town. Sammy Bor, the Rift Valley regional representative for the National Executive Council, played a significant role in organizing this event, which brought together union branch leaders from the South Rift and North Rift regions.
Also Read:Â How to Register as a Teacher in Kenya and Get a TSC Number
The issue at hand has led to hundreds of JSS teachers who initially enrolled as KNUT members being allegedly removed from the union’s membership database. This development has sparked outrage among KNUT members who are concerned about the impact on their union’s resources and ability to manage its affairs for the benefit of members across the country.
Bor, who also serves as the Executive Secretary of the union’s Eldoret East branch, voiced concerns that TSC’s actions were aimed at depriving KNUT of its newly recruited members, possibly to strengthen other unions. He emphasized the importance of the TSC maintaining a neutral stance on union-related matters for the sake of industrial harmony.
KNUT intends to write to TSC’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nancy Macharia, seeking an explanation for why JSS teachers were moved to KUPPET without their consent. This situation underscores a significant dispute regarding union representation in the education sector.
KNUT and KUPPET at Loggerheads over JSS Union Membership
