KUPPET Set To Take TSC To Court After Sacking 742 JSS Intern Teachers
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has condemned the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) decision to dismiss 742 Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers on Monday.
The dismissals for gross misconduct came just two days after teachers ended a nationwide strike that began on April 17.
The intern teachers had downed their tools due to concerns such as TSC’s unwillingness to hire them on permanent and pensionable contracts.
They subsequently suspended the strike after successful negotiations with the National Assembly’s Labour and Education committees, which approved some of the teachers’ demands, which were then presented to the budget committee.
JSS Teachers Dismissal Row:
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 12, 2024
KUPPET threatens to call teachers' strike over sacking
Teachers' union says 742 teachers wrongly dismissed
KUPPET asks TSC to reinstate sacked teachers to avert crisis#JKLive @KoinangeJeff pic.twitter.com/myRT8wj9af
In a statement released on Wednesday, KUPPET Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima condemned the layoffs, claiming that they did not follow proper procedure.
“We have received very distressing news of the dismissal of JSS teachers. The rule of justice allows people to be heard first before being fired but these teachers were not invited to the board,” he said.
“TSC has condemned young teachers to joblessness. We want to condemn this unfortunate incident because TSC didn’t follow the right procedure.”
Mr. Nthurima also stated that TSC had promised not to terminate the intern teachers’ contracts following negotiations to end the strike.
In May, the commission issued show-cause notices to 7,357 teachers regarding the contentious internship debacle.
Although the termination letters were dated June 6, 2024, they were distributed to head teachers on June 10.
“We agreed that teachers who resumed work after the strike should not be punished, that the commission would withdraw the show cause letters and we had agreed on a framework to bring sanity to JSS teachers,” added Mr. Nthurima.
“The dismissal will complicate efforts. How can they fire them when the passing of the bill to employ them on permanent and pensionable is ongoing?”
Mr. Nthurima also warned that KUPPET will not stand by while the dismissals are carried out, threatening legal action.
“KUPPET has spent months lobbying TSC and the National Assembly and we shall not sit back and watch TSC sacking teachers. We are asking them to consider their decision, all teachers should be absorbed on a permanent and pensionable,” said the KUPPET DG.
“The Union is considering going to court because this is unfair and unlawful.”
KUPPET Set To Take TSC To Court After Sacking 742 JSS Intern Teachers
