Nominated MP Wilson Sossion has hit back at the Trade Unions Congress of Kenya for suspending him.
In a telephone interview
on Thursday, Sossion said TUC-Ke
organising
secretary Charles Mukhwaya has no powers to suspend him.
Mukhwaya had issued a notice of suspension which takes immediate effect.
He said the National Executive Board held a meeting on July 24 and reviewed administrative actions relating to gross misconduct by
Sossion.
Mukhwaya said Sossion had been given a show cause letter on April 27 but did not respond to.
"Pursuant to the constitution of the Trade Unions Congress of Kenya, and your failure to respond to allegations of gross misconduct, the National Executive Board through a unanimous decision resolved to suspend you as secretary general with immediate effect," Mukhwaya said in a statement to newsrooms.
Read:
"That consequent to that suspension, you hand over all documents/properties of TUC-Ke that may be in your possession, the same to be handed over to Charles Mukhwaya who has been appointed to act in that office," the statement read.
But Sossion accused Mukhwaya of engaging in "dirty games" to advance his agenda.
Sossion, who is also the Kenya
National Union of Teachers secretary general, said Mukhwaya wants to be nominated to the Salaries and Remuneration
Commission (SRC) to represent workers.
"You don't have to engage in dirty games, you cannot compel a 'responsible' secretary general like me to quit," Sossion said.
"Knut houses TUC-Ke at its headquarters, and Mukhwaya should be told he cannot fight us on the streets. They do not pay rent and 70 per cent of income is spent on them, therefore they can vacate our offices and go fight somewhere else".
Sossion claimed Mukhwaya is trying to push Knut to engage in a fight with Cotu, but his tricks will not work.
"They can forget it, we have a very good relationship with Cotu," he said.
But Mukhwaya said, "I'm well schooled not to bring my personal agendas in such serious matters of the National Executive Board. The views expressed in the letter are not Mukhwaya's views, but of the board which comprises serious men and women who do not personalise
issues."
"TUC-Ke is a corporate
body that has organs and is mandated to sit, consider and analyse matters concerning its members. In fact, one Sossion must go back to school and get refresher
lessons on how such organisations are ran.
Mukhwaya dismissed claims of seeking to join
SRC as 'rumours'.