Kitui West MP Edith Nyenze has pleaded with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion to call off the planned teachers strike.
Nyenze wants Sossion and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to dialogue so as to avert the looming strike.
Addressing the press in Kitui town on Tuesday, the Wiper MP warned that the planned strike would paralyze learning in public schools and negatively affect the academic calendar.
She said the strike can be averted if parties involved agree to dialogue without demands.
“Sossion and his KNUT team should soften up and dialogue to stop the strike,” Nyenze said.
Nyenze said students are anxious over the planned strike countrywide.
She urged the Labour Ministry to urgently intervene and spearhead the dialogue between TSC and KNUT.
Nyenze said issues being raised by teachers need to be addressed.
She, however, noted that a strike is not the right way to have the issues ironed out.
KNUT has insisted that the planned teachers' strike set to start on Thursday, January, 3 is still on.
The teachers union has since asked its members to keep off classrooms as from the said date.
The union states that it will only call off the strike if TSC revokes the mass transfer of teachers.
The Sossion led union is accusing the TSC of illegally initiating mass transfer of teachers.
It is also accusing TSC of using the transfers to punish teachers.
Talks led by a conciliatory committee formed by Labour Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ukur Yattani to mediate teachers and TSC have failed several times.
On Monday, Employment and Labour court sitting in Nairobi issued an order stopping the teachers strike until when a case filed by TSC will be heard and determined.
KNUT has, however, rubbished the court order insisting that the teachers strike is still on.
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