Showdown looms over strike threat by teachers

Teachers and their employer are set for a major showdown on Monday in their dispute over higher pay.

Whereas the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Education Ministry have insisted that teachers must report for work when schools reopen today, the two teachers unions have asked their members to stay away.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) yesterday told teachers to go on strike starting from midnight, even as TSC said action would be taken against those who fail to report to work.

The ministry also said that it would be releasing the first tranche of money for the free primary education programme this week.

A statement signed by Knut Chairman Mudzo Nzili, Secretary-General Wilson Sossion and Treasurer Albanus Mutisya said: “We hereby advice parents and the public that there will be no teachers in all our learning institutions.”

Kuppet Secretary-General Akelo Misori also said the strike was on. He urged secondary school headteachers to hand over their institutions to boards of management.

“During the strike, the teachers will not be responsible for school property,” he said. “The Teachers Service Commission is the one to take responsibility of the consequences of the strike because it has failed to table a meaningful offer to Kenyan teachers.”

BASIC PAY REVIEW

Knut officials said that negotiations all over the world are guided by timelines imposed either by law, by the parties themselves or the courts.

They also criticised the government offer, saying there was nothing on basic pay. According to them, a review of basic salary was the basis of all collective bargaining agreements.

“We are returning to the teachers’ court,” said their statement. “We return with the determination that a solution will happen — maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will happen. It will happen soon. We’ve always known this would be a long road, and we don’t have the luxury of turning back.”

At the weekend, Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi had asked all parents to ignore the strike notice and take their children to school.

And yesterday, the Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang’ said the ministry would release money to run schools this week to ensure that learning is not disrupted.

Earlier, Mr Gabriel Lengoiboni, the TSC secretary, said the commission had tried to reach the union leaders to withdraw their strike notice, without success.

He said that teachers must report to work because there was a court order stopping the strike.

“We have a court order that must be respected, but if they refuse to go to work we know what we will do,” he warned.

Kuppet officials said they were ready to continue their talks with the government on prospects of increasing their members’ salaries.

“We are committed to the talks on terms and conditions of service of teachers,” said Mr Misori. “Previous talks have benefited teachers.”

SENSELESS CYCLE

However, Mr Nzili said the rights of children are not superior to those of teachers.

“There must be an end to this senseless cycle of negotiations,” he said in a post on his Facebook page.

Kenya National Association of Parents Secretary-General Musau Ndunda asked teachers to comply with the court order that outlaws their strike.

He said the association will move back to court tomorrow or Wednesday to cite the teachers for contempt of court if they fail to report to work today.

“As parents, we know that there is no strike on Monday and if somebody goes on strike, it is illegal,” he said.

Knut issued the strike notice on December 27, stating that its members would down their tools on January 5, should the government fail to award them a new salary package.

Kuppet also joined the strike call and asked its members not to participate in the Form One selection set to start on January 20.

Teachers have demands on about 40 aspects of their working conditions, including raising their basic salary by between 200 to 300 per cent and housing allowance by 50 per cent of basic salary and hardship allowance.

Meanwhile, the Central Organisation of trade unions (Cotu) has faulted the Ministry of Labour for the collapse of pay talks with the teachers.

In a statement, Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli said the ministry had absconded its duty to arbitrate labour disputes.

“Whether the Parents Association has obtained a court order or not, the government should urgently intervene,” he said and urged the Cabinet Secretary for Labour to invite all the parties for talks to resolve the deadlock.