Diploma teachers mass withdrawal threat that made Kuppet SG respond

On 29th September 2020 two teachers met KUPPET National Executive Board and presented a memorandum of issues relating to recruitment, remuneration and career progression challenges faced by teachers with Diploma qualifications.

Among the issues captured in the memo were:

i. The stagnation of Diploma teachers in Job Group C2;

ii. The slow promotion of Diploma teachers who have obtained BEd degrees; and

iii. The introduction of a new Marking Scheme for teacher recruitment that has lowered the scores for Diploma teachers.

Yesterday Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori responded to the grievances that the teachers had presented through the National Executive Board.

However this came after the teachers drafted a letter and called on colleagues to withdraw from the union en masse.

In response Akello Misori praised the implementation of Career Progression Guidelines under the CBA saying that it has brought tremendous gains  for teachers, compared to the  situation that obtained when promotions were based strictly on the Schemes of Service.

He also blamed the diploma teachers for presenting unrealistic demands especially where they are demanding that Diploma teachers be paid the same house allowances as graduate teachers.

The threat by the Diploma teachers that promted Kuppet SG to respons read as below.

TO ALL DIPLOMA TEACHERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA

DEAR COMRADES,

Receive much greetings and appreciation from your representatives.

Many of you are aware that we promised to give a report on this day with or without a feedback from KUPPET.

We as your representatives note as follows:-

THAT, we presented our petition to KUPPET on October 29,2020 at the KUPPET headquarters located at NEXTGEN MALL in Nairobi.

THAT, the top leadership of KUPPET undertook to engage TSC and give us a feedback within 14 days.

THAT, the 14 days have since elapsed without any communication from KUPPET. As a matter of fact we tried to reach the chairperson Hon. Omboko Milemba but he was not picking the calls and later his calls were not going through.

The Secretary General ,Mr. Akelo Misori,seemed to have blocked us immediately we left their offices. His phone number has never gone through.

THAT, as long as we are in a union, we can not access TSC officers directly. We are bound to task the union to engage tsc on our behalf. We have been under the mercies of the union in terms of their willingness to assist. It is therefore paramount that we consider the worth of kuppet to diploma teachers.

THAT, some members had the fear that KUPPET was a toothless organization whose top leadership was in a cordial relationship with the employer and was as dead as a dodo. These members felt that the KUPPET route would not yield any fruits. This fear has now been confirmed.

THAT, although we as your representatives had similar fears we chose to give it a try and allow KUPPET to redeem itself. They have failed terribly.

NEXT CAUSE OF ACTION

Having considered the foregoing and that our agitation must go on until we get what we want because what is happening to us is unfair, unjust and illegal  ab initio ,our next cause of actions will be as follows:-

  1. All diploma teachers will begin the process of withdrawal from KUPPET and stoppage of deduction of union dues as from Monday 19/10/2020 by writing a letter to the TSC. Find herein attached a template which can guide you. By Friday 23/10/2020 all the letters should reach the TSC headquarters. We are doing this because KUPPET has consistently failed us in this respect and attempts to have them speak on our behalf have not materialized.
  2. We are engaging the services of legal experts to help us draft a petition to be presented to the national assembly. We hope that in two weeks time, all logistics related to forwarding the petition will be completed.
  3. You are called upon to prepare for peaceful protests when the dates and venues are announced.

SAMPLE

Dear Madam,

RE: STOPPAGE OF UNION DUES DEDUCTION TO KENYA UNION OF POST PRIMARY EDUCATION TEACHERS (KUPPET)

The above subject refers.

I do hereby instruct you to stop forthwith deduction of union dues to Kenya Union of Post Primary Education TEACHERS (KUPPET). I have never joined the union nor been a member (this is for those who were added forcefully after the 2017 CBA came into effect).

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely ,

(signature)

Diploma teachers mass withdrawal threat that made Kuppet SG respond

On 29th September 2020 two teachers met KUPPET National Executive Board and presented a memorandum of issues relating to recruitment, remuneration and career progression challenges faced by teachers with Diploma qualifications.

Among the issues captured in the memo were:

i. The stagnation of Diploma teachers in Job Group C2;

ii. The slow promotion of Diploma teachers who have obtained BEd degrees; and

iii. The introduction of a new Marking Scheme for teacher recruitment that has lowered the scores for Diploma teachers.

Yesterday Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori responded to the grievances that the teachers had presented through the National Executive Board.

However this came after the teachers drafted a letter and called on colleagues to withdraw from the union en masse.

In response Akello Misori praised the implementation of Career Progression Guidelines under the CBA saying that it has brought tremendous gains  for teachers, compared to the  situation that obtained when promotions were based strictly on the Schemes of Service.

He also blamed the diploma teachers for presenting unrealistic demands especially where they are demanding that Diploma teachers be paid the same house allowances as graduate teachers.

The threat by the Diploma teachers that promted Kuppet SG to respons read as below.

TO ALL DIPLOMA TEACHERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA

DEAR COMRADES,

Receive much greetings and appreciation from your representatives.

Many of you are aware that we promised to give a report on this day with or without a feedback from KUPPET.

We as your representatives note as follows:-

THAT, we presented our petition to KUPPET on October 29,2020 at the KUPPET headquarters located at NEXTGEN MALL in Nairobi.

THAT, the top leadership of KUPPET undertook to engage TSC and give us a feedback within 14 days.

THAT, the 14 days have since elapsed without any communication from KUPPET. As a matter of fact we tried to reach the chairperson Hon. Omboko Milemba but he was not picking the calls and later his calls were not going through.

The Secretary General ,Mr. Akelo Misori,seemed to have blocked us immediately we left their offices. His phone number has never gone through.

THAT, as long as we are in a union, we can not access TSC officers directly. We are bound to task the union to engage tsc on our behalf. We have been under the mercies of the union in terms of their willingness to assist. It is therefore paramount that we consider the worth of kuppet to diploma teachers.

THAT, some members had the fear that KUPPET was a toothless organization whose top leadership was in a cordial relationship with the employer and was as dead as a dodo. These members felt that the KUPPET route would not yield any fruits. This fear has now been confirmed.

THAT, although we as your representatives had similar fears we chose to give it a try and allow KUPPET to redeem itself. They have failed terribly.

NEXT CAUSE OF ACTION

Having considered the foregoing and that our agitation must go on until we get what we want because what is happening to us is unfair, unjust and illegal  ab initio ,our next cause of actions will be as follows:-

  1. All diploma teachers will begin the process of withdrawal from KUPPET and stoppage of deduction of union dues as from Monday 19/10/2020 by writing a letter to the TSC. Find herein attached a template which can guide you. By Friday 23/10/2020 all the letters should reach the TSC headquarters. We are doing this because KUPPET has consistently failed us in this respect and attempts to have them speak on our behalf have not materialized.
  2. We are engaging the services of legal experts to help us draft a petition to be presented to the national assembly. We hope that in two weeks time, all logistics related to forwarding the petition will be completed.
  3. You are called upon to prepare for peaceful protests when the dates and venues are announced.

SAMPLE

Dear Madam,

RE: STOPPAGE OF UNION DUES DEDUCTION TO KENYA UNION OF POST PRIMARY EDUCATION TEACHERS (KUPPET)

The above subject refers.

I do hereby instruct you to stop forthwith deduction of union dues to Kenya Union of Post Primary Education TEACHERS (KUPPET). I have never joined the union nor been a member (this is for those who were added forcefully after the 2017 CBA came into effect).

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely ,

(signature)

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