Time has come for all teachers' unions to form a federation

Unions were created to balance power between employers and employees. Workers in Africa were once treated as slaves. Employers wanted to get more from workers and give very little back as compensation.

The creation of unions closed the gaps between workers and their employers in that they were able to speak through their elected representatives.

The main reasons for the creation of unions therefore was to fight discrimination, to represent workers, introduce and enhance advocacy, give information and advice to members and deliver services to them.

This worked very well from the initial years. All unions have their vision, mission, core values and mottos that drive their day to day activities.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), for instance, aspires to be the most effective and self-reliant teachers’ union in the world by uniting teachers of all calibre for quality service, socio-economic improvement, professional advancement, strengthening their bargaining power and promoting quality education through effective leadership and effective programming. All other teachers’ trade unions in the country aspire to do the same.

Teachers’ unions’ struggles can be traced back to the dark colonial days. The journey to liberate the African workers, especially teachers, was not an easy one —people died, families suffered, fundamental rights were denied and the end result was that the African workers’ dream was either delayed or shattered. These gains can get eroded if teachers’ trade unions do not pull in the same direction.

Teachers are happy that unions are able to regulate the power between them and their employers. Employees can work confidently, knowing that they are shielded from discrimination, harassment and fear.

However, the employer has time without number used ‘divide and rule’ to disenfranchise and fragment unions, leading to small ‘pieces’ without meaningful impact on teachers’ representation.

This is done due to the unions’ rising to threatening levels of solidarity. Tactics such as dangling of carrots to woe teachers to exit union membership and causing discrimination in pay as was experienced between teachers’ schemes of service and career progression guidelines threatened the existence of unions.

Knut discourages those inciting hatred among members to undermine their solidarity. The incitement leads to constant name calling, envy, hatred and agitation to withdraw from trade union membership.

That can be equated to the proverbial monkeys that celebrated the death of the farmer who had been chasing them out of the maize farm as there was no one now to send them away. After some time, there was no maize for them to feast on. That is when the monkeys realised that the farmer was the one who provided for their livelihoods.

Teachers must ask themselves what the constitutional provisions on trade unions are, they must know what benefits unions present to workers and evaluate whether or not they are important in their work life or not.

Knut and Kenya Union of Post -Primary Education Teachers’ (Kuppet) sent shock waves when they jointly declared industrial action beginning August 26, 2024. The public support was and continues to be a forthright strategy that if used well can drive the solidarity movement of workers to the highest levels of achievement. This must be encouraged now, tomorrow and for future labour struggles for workers in all professional engagements.

The joint press conference between Knut and Kuppet when they notified the employer (Teachers Service Commission) of the impending countrywide teachers’ strike was a true demonstration of real trade unionism.

Unions in the same profession should commence unity talks that will lead to formation of federations of unions. This will not kill the spirit of the giant labour centre in Kenya, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions but will instead strengthen it from the core.

The CBA framework provides that unions engage their employers in its formation and agree on the implementation process. Why, for instance, would the TSC sign one document with three different entities containing the same contents and the same implementation structure?

The Knut, Kuppet, Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers and the unions representing universities have common demands, common interests and speak to the same ministry if not the same employer.

The education budget for all aspects of education is one. The budget runs from the basic education sector to university education and the minister in charge of Education in Kenya is one.

A time has come for trade unions to re-awaken the spirit of solidarity, open their eyes and see that the enemy of progress in teachers’ progress is not far from their egos, selfishness and self-seeking attitudes.

Unity talks are key at this moment especially now that government officials have metamorphosed into turn-coats and are no longer willing to implement what they initially agreed to.

Knut is calling upon all sister unions in the sector to rethink their position in forming a federation of trade unions in the Education sector and continue ring-fencing the gains made through the existence of COTU. Through this, it will be easier and safer to make great achievements for teachers in the future.

This approach will be critical in conducting fresh job evaluation exercises that will shape the review of the career progression guidelines that will determine the 2025/2029 CBA cycle. Knut is ready to take the lead in championing this. For this is our prayer.