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The teachers have decried failure by the government to address their grievances.
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The teachers want the government to release funds for the immediate confirmation of interns by the Teachers Service Commission.
Image: LABAN WALLOGA
At least 300 Junior Secondary School teachers in Mombasa have threatened to paralyse learning from Monday next week.
The teachers have decried failure by the government to address their grievances.
The teachers want the government to release funds for the immediate confirmation of interns by the Teachers Service Commission.
“We are teachers who are fully trained and therefore we require to be employed like other teachers on permanent and pensionable basis,” they said.
They are also demanding compensation for the period worked while underpaid.
The teachers have further alleged that TSC is discriminating against them during employment.
“TSC has had a formula to employ teachers, why is it not happening with us? We don’t have hope when things happen like this,” Felix Odhiambo, one of the teachers, said.
They have called on the commission to respect court orders issued by the Employment and Labour Relations Court last week.
Justice Bryrum Ongaya of the Employment and Labour Relations Court last Wednesday ruled that TSC violated the intern teachers' right to fair labour practice as they are qualified and possess teaching licenses.
“The respondents have not exhibited statutory regulatory or policy arrangements that would entitle the first respondent (TSC) to employ interns,” Ongaya said in the ruling.
“Ideally, the first respondent should employ registered teachers on terms that are not discriminatory and to meet the optimal staffing needs in public schools,” the ruling said.
The teachers who were to hold peaceful protest within Mombasa CBD from Pembe za Ndovu, said that the Sh17,000 monthly salary they are being offered is not enough given the recent harsh economic time.
“We cannot continue serving as interns. We want a country that listens to its citizens and respects teachers at all levels,” Odhiambo said.
He said that some of them had served about seven years as interns and were surprised to see that some learners they had taught were now being recruited before them.
He called on TSC to honor its employment formula and employ teachers.
“We will continue downing tools and sabotaging learning until the government employs us on permanent terms or our demands are heard”
The teachers have called on KNUT and KUPPET to stand by them and be at the forefront of fighting for them.
“We are reminding them to stand by us because we know when we are fully recruited they will need us,” he said.
According to Eunice Njeri who is another affected teacher, the court ruling termed internship for trained and registered teachers as unconstitutional and thus rendered it illegal.
“Compensation of teachers should be equal under the same qualification and job responsibility,” she said.
She added that TSC should come clear on the time frame for contract, adding that the commission should stop ignoring teachers' welfare.
“You cannot put a 2016 graduate on internship and employ a 2023 graduate on Permanent and Pensionable basis,” she said.
She termed it illegal to employ a qualified, certified and registered teacher under internship programme, saying the need to be employed under PnP terms.