How TSC Turned Wilson Sossion into an Enemy Within His Union

Wilson Sossion ouster lays bare his sore relationship with TSC.

The protracted battle of sticking to power at the helm of the biggest teacher’s union in Kenya, Knut, is ostensibly over with the beleaguered Wilson Sossion on the receiving end of the bitter outcome.

After going to court to stop delegates meeting that had planned his ouster on Thursday, the move apparently, did not bore any fruit after the National Executive Council (NEC) managed to register new officials at the Ministry of Labor and Social Services.

A letter from Registrar of Trade Unions dated August 29, indicated that Sossion’s name was expunged from the registrar of party officials, marking the end of his 6-years-stint as the spokesperson of the giant teacher’s union.

TSC game plan

A series of cold wars between Mr Sossion and the teacher’s employer ensued after the former opposed the implementation of the new curriculum as well as career progression guidelines that would have been used to evaluate the promotion of teachers.

In June, the employer refused to remit the monthly Sh140 million union dues to Knut hence paralyzing of some of the union’s key operations.

It went on to provide an option to teachers intending to refrain from giving their contribution to the union.

The option was made conspicuous at the teacher portal with a directive; “Click on the checkbox to the right of the union transaction and click the “STOP UNION MEMBERSHIP” button to stop your Union membership!”

As a result, thousands of the teachers opted out.

In July, TSC deregistered Mr Sossion as a teacher with his nomination as a Member of Parliament being the sticking point.

TSC argued that teachers were not allowed to engage in politics.

In the same month, the employer denied Knut members a pay rise and gave teachers belonging to no union or the rival union, Kenya Union for Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), an increment on their salaries.

Consequently, many members opted for the rival union with KUPPET confirming, this week,that they had received 18,000 defectors from Knut.

With the aforementioned series of events, the infighting within the union widened day by day as the union plunged into crisis.

Mr Sossion who has been at the face of major wars with the teachers employer,became solely to blame for the sore relationship, with TSC,which has threatened the survival of the union.

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