Atwoli Says TSC Is not Ready to end standoff with Knut and Ignores Mediation Talks
Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli accuses the Teachers Service Commission of thwarting his efforts to end its questionable relationship with the Kenya National Union of Teachers.
The SG has revealed that TSC has declined to resolve the matter, adding that twice, he has sought an audience with the President over the issue. He was responding to Martha Karua’s accussations in social media, that Cotu has failed to stand in solidarity with Knut.
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Karua and Atwoli weighed in on the matter days after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga attacked the TSC for attempts to kill the once-giant teachers’ union.
The raging labour dispute began in 2018 and has since seen the membership of the union shrink from a high of 187,000 to below 15,000. The standoff was occasioned by disagreements on teacher promotions, registration regulations and appraisal.
“As secretary general of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Kenya), I thought it wise to make clarification on the issue to avoid miscommunication and misrepresentation of facts,” Atwoli’s claims.
He said they have held at least six meetings with the Labour CS to discuss the standoff, but the TSC snubbed them.
Atwoli also noted that the standoff has seen Cotu push the Education committee in Parliament to open an enquiry into the matter but the directions offered were not implemented.
“We have so far held at least six meetings with the CS Labour to discuss the standoff but the TSC boycotted the meetings,” Atwoli explains.
He said that the matter has also caught the attention of international labour organisations—ILO and the Global International Trade Union Confederation.
“Twice, we have convened meetings for all general secretaries of Cotu(K) affiliate unions to discuss the issue above after which, in all meetings, the general secretaries came up with resolutions to be sent to the President for consideration,” he said.
