Teachers' unions clash over merger

Two teachers' unions have differed over their proposed merger during the ongoing head teachers' conference in Mombasa.

Kenya National Union of Teachers  (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the unions had no option but to merge. He promised to "deliver a united union" to speak for all the teachers.

But his counterpart in the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Akelo Misori said a lot of caution must be exercised if any merger is to take place.

Misori said unions are not a property of the elected officials and members must be consulted.

"We have to speak to all the members. We cannot pretend that we have made a decision on their behalf especially on such important matters," he said.

Sossion, who was emboldened by the presence of university staff unions and the Federation of Public Service Trade Unions of Kenya (Pusetu-K), said the two unions must set aside their differences and chart a unity path.

"It does not matter who becomes the secretary general of the new union because the ultimate beneficiary will be the teachers," he said.

His sentiments were supported by the Kenya University Staff Union Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya. "At this rate when the ground is fast shifting against the workers' strength we have to unite whether we like it or not," he said.

The unions were discussing "The relevance of teachers' unions in current Kenya".

The two union officials said they would never relent in their fight for teachers even as the Salaries and Remuneration Commission "attempts to undermine their work".

University Academic Staff Union Secretary General Prof Muga K'Olale asked school principals: "Do you mandate us to go ahead and hold talks to form a single union? Do you want us to work together?" posed K'Olale, to which teachers answered in the affirmative.

Misori said Kuppet is not against the merger but noted it would not be hurried. "The memberships of these unions are varied and we cannot just make such decisions. We support a federation which is a system with a common hold where we do not lose our identities," he said.

Sossion said the two unions have began a long journey to unite all teachers. "Knut is prepared and all these issues of advocating teachers issues and clamour for quality education shall be done through one voice and this means that everyone must talk to us," he said.