Knut protests over new union

By Kipchumba Kemei and Beauttah Omanga

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) is up in arms after the Registrar of Trade Unions registered a splinter union.

Knut national officials demand the immediate deregistration of the new union, failure to which it has threatened industrial action ahead of national examinations set to begin later this month.

Knut national chairman Wilson Sossion said the union had declared the move a dispute with the Ministry of Labour and demanded urgent measures be taken to avert a crisis.

William Langat, the registrar, in a letter dated October 5, says the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers has fully complied with the laid down procedures, hence the need for its registration and participation in the teaching community welfare.

"I’m pleased to inform you that I have today registered the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers as a trade union under the Labour Relations Act," Langat’s letter reads in part.

The letter, which was enclosed with the certificate of registration, is copied to the executive director of the Federation of Kenya Employers, the secretary general of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions and the labour commissioner in the Labour ministry.

But Knut on Wednesday termed the move an affront on the Kenyan teachers.

"It is war. How can the Government register two unions to undertake similar roles on behalf of already unionisable members of an existing union?" posed Sossion.

He said the move was in bad faith as all those the new union will purport to represent were already members of Knut. He said the move was geared at weakening the giant union, which has been a force to reckon with for many years in fighting for teachers’ welfare.

"We have about 80,000 Knut members from the category for which the new union has been registered. Does the Government expect the Knut members already well represented to withdraw from Knut and join the new organisation?" Sossion wondered.

The chairman said Knut 240,000 members will resort to industrial action until the registration is cancelled. The new union, according to its interim Secretary General James Torome, has in the last one year sought for the registration.