Knut to issue strike notice

Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion will Saturday chair a meeting of national executives to ratify a seven-day strike notice at the union’s headquarters.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers official said the meeting would result into a declaration of the impending January 5 strike should the government fail to honour the collective bargaining agreement it signed with the teachers.

He said the union’s Annual Delegates Conference voted for a resolution for the members to institute industrial action.

Mr Sossion said the delegates’ conference is the supreme decision-making organ whose resolution is final and binding.

“I have, therefore, summoned the national executive council to approve the strike notice,” Mr Sossion said.

“We expect to issue the notice today and consequently teachers will not resume duty come January 5 in all public schools unless the government moves in to conclude our agreement,” he said.

RATIFY

Further, he said, that Trade Union Congress of Kenya would meet early this week to vote and ratify a general strike by all its affiliate unions since Salaries and Remuneration Commission has not withdrawn the contentious circular dated December 10.

“The salaries commission has not withdrawn a circular increasing the house allowances of cabinet secretaries and principal secretaries,” Mr Sossion said.

The circular raised the house allowance of cabinet secretaries to Sh200, 000 a month and that of principal secretaries to Sh150, 000 effective January 1, 2015 and which, the union demanded to be withdrawn by last Wednesday.

Mr Sossion told the government to prepare itself for a general strike by the workers countrywide.