Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) top officials yesterday came face to face with the wrath of a section of teachers who said they would not engage in future strikes.
Immediately after Knut officials announced suspension of the strike, teachers protested to members of the National Executive Council (NEC) accusing them of “wasting time.” The teachers said they had been asked by the union officials to attend the press briefing and regretted why they participated in the five weeks’ strike.
“Why did you call us here if all you wanted is to call off the strike? We are not happy. And there is no solidarity anymore,” shouted one of the teachers in the boardroom. The teacher who was only identified as Singoi, said teachers had sacrificed a lot in solidarity but have now been embarrassed by indecisiveness of the union officials.
“We were strongly behind you but why call off the strike when the government has been disobeying court orders?” he protested.
Monica Mwende shouted: “We shall never go on strike again. There is no more solidarity because we are not happy.” The teacher said the strike had received support even from students.
“The children and parents supported us in this course. We had explained that teachers only wanted money then they resume work. When we go back, they will ask us what we got. How will we answer them? We are embarrassed,” she said.
The hall exploded into a shouting match immediately Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion announced suspension of the strike. “No. That cannot be. We shall not teach. We are going back to class physically bot not emotionally,” shouted another teacher. Walk out The headmaster in a Nairobi school said he will no longer subscribe to any union.
“I will never remit union dues again. We cannot go on strike only for the Secretary General to call it off prematurely. They should have pushed until we get something, even if it is five per cent. I am annoyed,” he said.
The head teacher said he was called last night to come for the briefing. “They called me to come here only to call off the strike. Why did they call me then? They should have left us where we were. We feel wasted and used,” he said. Knut chairman Mudzo Nzili asked the teachers to walk out after the press briefing which further triggered their anger.
“Okay, teachers you may now leave the room so that we can complete the NEC meeting,” he said. He warned the shouting teachers that they were complicating a matter already worse. “Please you may be spoiling what is already bad,” said Nzili.
But the teachers shouted back saying they are not small kids to be summoned at will with no proper reason.
“We are not happy. Now they are sending us away,” said a lady teacher who had travelled from Kisii County. She said: “If you look at us we are not happy. We are broke. And we haven’t even been paid. The strike is not worth the effort.”
Mr Sossion played down the reactions of teachers, saying it was in order for them to ventilate. “We had done a survey and the finding was that more than 30 per cent of the teachers wanted the strike to continue. But we weighed the options of disobeying court orders and pleasing our members.
That is why the NEC was called,” he said. He said each strike has a prize to be paid and disclosed that some officials are admitted to hospital because of blood pressure.
“This thing is never easy. We are human beings and our bodies and minds wear down as well,” said Sossion.