The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli on Wednesday expressed his support for the ongoing teachers' strike.
Atwoli, who spoke to journalists in Nairobi, accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of consistently threatening the striking teachers with unwarranted court orders.
The COTU boss while reiterating his stance on the matter, urged the striking teachers not to back down until the government heeded all their demands.
He claimed that the strike was the only way to compel the government into fulfilling their demands.
“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 fresh meeting with the teachers' representatives and come up with a lasting solution to the stalemate.
According to Atwoli, the court order obtained by the Commission directing teachers to return to work would have been useful immediately after the teachers issued a 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 sentiments came a day after the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) directed teachers not to report to work until the government addresses their concerns.
KUPPET Chairperson, Murang’a branch, while addressing the press on Tuesday, August 27, stated that the strike would go on until the government addresses the pertinent 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. We expected an increment in our pay starting July, our teachers in Murang’a are saying no to labour without good pay,” he added
