Strike looms as TSC and unions harden stands

A teachers’ nationwide work boycott is imminent after their employer and trade unions yesterday issued conflicting statements on their demands ahead of the September 30 talks intended to broker a deal.

The bone of contention is the decision by Teachers Service Commission to engage the Salaries and Remuneration Commission in determining the financial implications of the employees’ demands.

TSC chief executive officer Gabriel Lengoiboni said they were studying all the other demands and would respond appropriately during the next round of negotiations at the end of this month.

The outcome of the negotiations will form the basis for the Collecting Bargaining Agreement expected to start in July 2015.

Mr Lengoiboni said the negotiations were centred on more than 40 demands, the main ones being an increase in basic salary by between 180 per cent and 200 per cent; increase in house allowance by up to 50 per cent of the basic salary and payment of leave allowance, among others.

He asked the teachers, parents and all stakeholders for patience and understanding as the commission engaged with the unions and relevant government agencies for an amicable solution especially at this time when Form Four and Standard Eight candidates were preparing for their national examinations.

The teachers’ unions said their members were concerned that the TSC was inciting the public against them and was out to sabotage the negotiations.

Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education (Kuppet) warned that the Consultative Committee on Terms and Conditions of Service for Teachers should not be prosecuted through an advertisement.

CREATING ANXIETY

“The commission has failed to declare the government’s offer to the union demands since 2012. Instead, it is passing the buck to SRC and is creating anxiety in the public and particularly among teachers,” said Kuppet secretary-general Akelo Misori.

He said the employer had the capacity to run its own affairs with regard to deliberations on remuneration and other benefits. Only recommendations from such discussions could be forwarded to SRC.

“SRC has engaged in a choreographed strategy to evade teachers’ demands. There is a deliberate attempt by the SRC to run away from its core mandate,” said Mr Misori.

Knut accused the commission of being out to sabotage the negotiations and warned that it would be held responsible for any chaos in the education sector.

Secretary-general Wilson Sossion said the SRC had no role in determining teachers’ salaries as it’s duty was purely advisory since teachers were not State officers. “The commission is misinterpreting the law and is shifting its responsibility with the committee to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission,” he said.