KNUT and KUPPET may not be fighting for the ordinary teacher

As the media continuously report on what the teachers' unions are saying, they have never taken time to understand what the ordinary teacher is saying. There are pertinent issue affecting teachers which the unions have paid very little attention to or have never even tried to air.

1. Medical schemes

Every month teachers pay for two medical schemes. One medical scheme should be improved to offer the teachers quality services.

AON collects billions monthly from teachers yet majority of the facilities listed in the scheme either don't take the insurance cover or they don't offer the medical services sought by the affected teachers.

Where are the unions on these? Could they be beneficiaries of the proceeds?

2. Housing finance

Another mouth to feed is being introduced to the teachers' payslips, the housing finance. The unions are silent about it thanks to COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli for standing and fighting for workers ( teachers included).

3. Transfers for ordinary teachers

While many ordinary teachers have applied for transfers, the unions are busy fighting for just 3,000 teachers who are heads, not to be transferred. Nobody is fighting for those teachers who wish to move closer to their families or change the working environment.

Why is there an election in our country every 5 years to change the leadership?

Let the heads move to new stations every 5 years. Some heads have colonised there stations worsening the working conditions for those who serve below them.

TSC is right on delocalization.

4. Over working

One worker overworked in the north of river Limpopo and south of the Sahara desert, is the Kenyan teacher. S/he doesn't even have working hours.

Teachers are working day and night for seven days a week. They even perform the role of parents like changing the diapers.

Teachers want clear laid out working hours, if it's 8 am to 5 pm let it be so. They have family too to take care of.

5. Poor pay

Teachers are poorly paid and it is for this reason that all loan lending institutions run for teachers. Many have stagnated in one job group for over two decades.

Let the teachers' unions stop chasing the rats and instead let them go for the giants and elephants affecting the teachers.

The direction the unions are taking today is not the best for the teachers. KNUT and KUPPET may be fighting for their stomachs or cartels or few teachers or politicians or just chasing wind while teachers are left suffering yet paying billions to these unions.

Erwin Mogusu,

A teacher and blogger in Nyamira County

omogusu@gmail.com