Members of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) in Homa Bay County held daylong demonstrations Monday to push the government to employ Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.
The members led by the Union’s County Executive Secretary Stephen Yogo joined the JSS teachers in protesting against what they termed as failure by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to abide by a court order to employ the JSS teachers permanently.
Yogo said they were in solidarity with the JSS teachers in demanding for their rights of permanent and pensionable employment terms.
“The Employment and Labour Relations Court pronounced itself on this matter and as a union, we are in solidarity with the JSS teachers,” Yogo said adding that the teachers should not only be employed on permanent and pensionable terms, but they should also be paid the full salary for the period they have served.
He said it was wrong for the TSC to be taking the JSS teachers in circles. “We will take further action if they fail to abide by the court order,” he added.
Speaking during the demonstration, the chairman of JSS teachers Harrizone Oyoo and Treasurer Melvin Awuor threatened that JSS teachers would down their tools if their demands were not met.
Oyoo said they would not back down and if need be, they would boycott duty when schools reopen. “We want to make it clear that we will not step in classrooms if the government fails to employ us on permanent and pensionable terms,” Oyoo stated.
He said the implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) would be jeopardized if their demands were not met.
Awuor argued that their Sh17, 000 monthly pay was not enough considering the years they have served.
“We cannot continue with the temporary contract despite the court order. We want TSC to move with speed to employ us permanently,” Awuor said.
She accused the TSC of holding them with contempt. “We are the pioneers of CBC but the government is non-committal on our welfare,” Awuor claimed.
Homa Bay KUPPET Chairman Jack Okoth and Treasurer Beatrice Awiti echoed the sentiments saying the government must comply with the court order.
