COTU’s Atwoli Defends Teachers’ Strike, Accuses TSC Of Bullying
On Wednesday, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, expressed his support for the ongoing teacher strike.
Atwoli, who spoke with journalists in Nairobi, accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of repeatedly threatening striking teachers with unjustified court orders.
While reiterating his stance on the issue, the COTU president urged the striking teachers not to back down until the government complied with all of their demands.
He claimed that a strike was the only way to force the government to meet their demands.
COTU Boss Francis Atwoli on KUPPET strike. Watch and share pic.twitter.com/IkHZDyOSNO
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“Negotiations are over so if they do not want to enter into a return-to-work formula there is only one route which is, the strike should continue,” Atwoli remarked.
Similarly, the COTU boss called on TSC to convene a new meeting with teachers’ representatives and come up with a long-term solution to the stalemate.
According to Atwoli, the Commission’s court order directing teachers to return to work would have been useful immediately following the teachers’ strike notice.
“For instance, an arsonist has given you a warning that he will put your house on fire, do you give him a court order when the house is on fire or before?” Atwoli questioned.
Atwoli’s comments came a day after the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) urged teachers not to report to work until the government addressed their concerns.
KUPPET Chairperson, Murang’a branch, told the press on Tuesday, August 27, that the strike would continue until the government addressed the issues affecting teachers.
“Promotions are long overdue for about 130,000 teachers in the country who have been doing interviews for a long time and getting negative verdicts and we are saying it is evil for teachers to work for more than 15 years without any promotion,” the KUPPET chairperson in Muranga noted.
“Teachers of Murang’a County have boycotted work starting today because the government has failed to honour their pledge,” he added.
“We expected an increment in our pay starting July, our teachers in Murang’a are saying no to labour without good pay.”
COTU’s Atwoli Defends Teachers’ Strike, Accuses TSC Of Bullying
