Teachers call off strike after Treasury pledge

FILE | NATION
Knut chairman Wilson Sossion (left) said unless there were re-allocations in the Budget, new teachers would not be hired nor promotions effected. With him is secretary-general David Okuta Osiany at a past function.

Teachers have called off a strike planned to start on Friday after Treasury promised to resolve the issue of funds to hire new tutors in a fortnight.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) announced the decision after meeting Treasury and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) officials in Nairobi on Wednesday.

Knut chairman Wilson Sossion said unless there were re-allocations in the Budget, new teachers would not be hired nor promotions effected.

“A total of Sh8 billion has to be re-allocated from the Ministry of State for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 and directed to the TSC for employment of teachers,” he said.

Further, teachers hired on contract would not be elevated to permanent and pensionable workers as Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta did not factor them in the budget, he stated.

“The non-allocation of funds for key projects in the sector will affect the quality of education,” Mr Sossion said after the meeting.

“We have therefore entered into talks with the Treasury and Parliament as this is the only logical way of coming up with a solution to the problem,” he said.

“We all agreed that these issues must be dealt with quickly,” Mr Sossion said, adding, “the strike will be a last resort when dialogue has failed.”

Accompanied by Knut’s top brass, he said going ahead with the July 1 strike “would be in bad faith as negotiations are going on.”

“In the event that these negotiations fail, then we will call on teachers to down tools ... But this will be a last option,” he declared.

Treasury officials Geoffrey Mwau, Samuel Kiiru and Samuel Macharia attended the meeting while Mr Franklin Choge, Mr Cheplimo Aiyabei and Mr Caleb Ogot represented the TSC.

Senior deputy director of basic education Margaret Thiong’o and financial officer David Otiato also attended.

Funds inadequate

Earlier, the teachers met the Parliamentary Committee on Budget and complained that the TSC had not been allocated enough funds at a time it had become a constitutional commission.

“This means that in this budget year, the TSC will not be able to carry out development projects which are needed urgently for the development of county structures,” Mr Sossion said.