Talks fail and strike goes into third day

Talks between the government and teachers to end the countrywide strike stalled Tuesday, delaying the re-opening of public primary and secondary schools countrywide.

This came as teachers kept away from schools for the second day running with their union officials vowing to carry on with the strike until their salary demands are met.

The day-long talks between a high powered government team led by Cabinet Secretaries Jacob Kaimenyi (Education) and Kazungu Kambi (Labour) collapsed after they failed to table an offer to increase basic salaries for teachers.

The government tabled an offer on mortgage and car loans, which incidentally, has been extended to all civil servants by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

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Mr Mudzo Nzili, the chairman of the Kenya National Union Teachers (Knut) and the treasurer, Mr Albanus Mutisya, insisted on an offer of between 50 and 60 per cent for the talks to proceed.

DECLINED TO MAKE AN OFFER

They were supported by Trade Union Congress of Kenya secretary general Charles Mukhwaya and Union of Kenya Civil Servants secretary general Tom Odege.

Initially, Knut had demanded a 300 per cent increase in basic pay.

The government team, which included Principal Secretaries Bellio Kipsang (Education), Colleta Suda (Science and Technology), Ali Noor (Labour) and National Treasury officials, Tuesday declined to make an offer on basic pay.

Also present during the talks were Mr Gabriel Lengoiboni, the Secretary of the Teachers Service Commission and the chairperson, Dr Lydia Nzomo.

When the talks which started at 10am at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) House broke down at 5.30pm. Mr Nzili accused the government of not being sincere in the talks and declared that the strike would continue. That means the nationwide strike will enter its third day today.

However, Mr Nzili said teachers were ready to engage the government to allow learning to continue but accused the government of failing to give them an offer that could have resolved the issue.

DISAPPOINTED

“Teachers of Kenya have been following the deliberation in order to unlock the stalemate but today we are disappointed as we have not come out with any deal,” he said.

According to him, the government had only offered allowances that teachers were already enjoying while others were insignificant.

“The strike that started on Monday was a rehearsal and now we are asking teachers to start a real strike on Wednesday,” he said.

Mr Nzili said teachers were ready for 50 to 60 per cent raise that was offered last year but the government came with nothing except allowances.

“What is important to teachers is a salary increase and not allowances as their pension will be calculated as per the salary and not allowances,” he said.
However, Mr Kambi said the offer that teachers were demanding amounted to Sh9.3 billion and declared that “no more cash will be added on this”.
The offer, he said, addressed the concerns raised by teachers.

“The government offer will push the annual teachers wage bill to Sh 170 billion accounting for 10 per cent of the Budget. Let us face facts. Other sectors are entitled to their share of the National Budget,” he said.

He maintained that the basic salary will only be reviewed once a job evaluation for all public sector employees has been completed.

“Remuneration must be tied to productivity and performance. This is the aim of the evaluation. Public funds must be spent prudently,” said the Labour CS.

“Kenyans need security as the government must pay for security, we must pay our men and women in uniform, Kenya needs hospitals and we must pay to equip them. Today’s offer already stretches the budget and we will stretch it no further.”

The offer, he said, was the latest in a series of government interventions to support teachers.

“We ask the unions to sign the CBA which will resolve the matters under dispute and will cover the period of July 1, 2013 to June 2017,” he said.
The CS also criticised union leaders that allowances for claiming that responsibility, hardship and special school allowances had been scrapped.

He has called upon those teachers who have not resumed classes to do so as directed by the Education Ministry and TSC saying that there will be disciplinary consequences for those who do not return to work because the strike is not protected under the Labour Relations Act.

“Teachers are part of the public Service and so they are subject to national, legal and policy framework on salaries and remuneration. Teachers are also Kenyans. It is time for them to stop the brinkmanship  and return to serving Kenyan citizens,” Mr Kambi said.

In its offer, the government agreed to provide Sh10 million for a mortgage and Sh1.5 million for car loans to trained diploma and graduate teachers and others in job groups K, L, M and N.

PRINCIPALS

Teachers in job groups G, H and J were offered a mortgage of Sh6 million and car loan of Sh800,000. Teachers in job group P, Q and R — mainly principals — were to get a mortgage of Sh15 million and a car loan of Sh3 million.

The government side insisted that it gave teachers house allowances last month — with the lowest paid taking home Sh3,200 and the highest paid, in Job Group R, getting Sh35,000. Leave allowance will be paid at Sh4,000 for the lowest and Sh10,000 for highest paid teacher.

In addition to mortgage, car loans and leave allowances, they union wants a hardship allowance and a comprehensive medical cover.

Mr Nzili accused a rival union, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, of working with the government to accept an inferior offer.

However Kuppet secretary general Akelo Misori denied the allegation and said that they were yet to hold talks with the government.

“Judge us when we receive the counter offer proposal. Teachers solidarity is crucial in this talks, not sideshows,” he said, adding that the union expects a serious offer from the government when its officials meet Mr Kambi Wednesday.