Strike: Stand-off as State rejects teachers salary demands

By AUGUSTINE ODUOR and Geoffrey Mosoku

Kenya: The Government and teachers’ unions hardened their positions on the first day of a strike that crippled learning in public schools.

In a sign of a protracted wait for millions of students, Labour secretary Kazungu Kambi flatly rejected the demand by Knut for a one-off payment of Sh47 billion arising from a 1997 award.

He termed as unreasonable the demand for implementation of a legal notice that was not signed by President Kenyatta’s government.

“Legal notices are documents that are subject to changes. A CBA is binding both locally and internationally…asking this government to honour a deal that it was not party to is not right,” he told a news conference in Nairobi.

He was referring to the contentious legal notice no.534 of 1997 that details higher housing, medical and commuter allowances.

In a quick rejoinder, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) warned Kambi against playing politics with the teachers’ “well negotiated and gazzetted agreements”.

Knut national chairman Wilson Sossion told Kambi that teachers would press on “for as long as he wants to trivialise the demands.”

Sossion said the government couldn’t wish away valid agreements signed by both parties and gazzetted.

“He should stop playing politics because he is still new at the ministry. He should understand all the negotiated agreements first and seek ways to mediate the crisis,” he told The Standard yesterday.

“We promise him a longer strike for as long as he wants to talk recklessly to annoy teachers. He should be neutral instead of talking sides in a matter he doesn’t understand,” he added.

Across the country, classrooms remained empty after children were sent back home by teachers, who later took to the streets to press for higher pay.

In Nairobi, the government disowned the 1997 deal that is the subject of the strike and declared as illegal the strikes called by Knut and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet).

Kambi said the legal notice was not binding and told Knut to register a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Industrial Court.

Embrace dialogue

Kambi spoke after a tripartite meeting involving his ministry, Central Organisation of Trade Union (Cotu) and the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE).

Knut boycotted talks with State officials that were scheduled at Teachers Service Commission (TSC) headquarters.

TSC secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni and Salaries and Remuneration Commission chairperson Sarah Serem were among those at the meeting attended by Kuppet officials led by Akello Misori.

But the talks aborted for lack of quorum. Mr Joseph Obonyo of the Public Service Commission (PSC) chaired the meeting at TSC headquarters in Upperhill.

“We are calling upon the unions to embrace dialogue and as government we have been willing and are ready to discuss,” Lengoiboni told journalists as the meeting broke off.

It emerged the government has prepared a set of offers that were to be discussed at the meeting.

The Standard learnt that part of the proposal is to provide Sh11.5 billion required to bridge the differences in commuter allowance between teachers and civil servants.

Authorities are also working out modalities to pay teachers leave allowances that are projected to total Sh1.4 billion. The State is also mulling over implementation of medical allowance in a scheme administered wholly or partly through the National Hospital Insurance Fund.

Also being floated as an offer is a proposal to hire 10,000 teachers at a cost of Sh3.6 billion.

But the Government is unwilling to commit to house allowance equivalent to 50 per cent of the basic salary. Another meeting is scheduled this afternoon at 2 pm but Sossion dismissed the talks as lacking relevance to their demands. Kuppet also appeared to lack faith in the talks.

“We came here but the government has not offered any tangible proposal. We may not attend any other meeting unless the government shows its seriousness in holding discussions,” Misori said.

Disciplinary action

Yesterday, the Federation of Public Servants Trade Union of Kenya (Pusetu) backed the teachers saying other affiliate parties shall join the strike in seven days.

“We ask the government to factor in all the teachers demands within seven days or else all other members shall go on strike,” said acting Pusetu secretary general Charles Mukhwaya.

Meanwhile TSC attempted to crack down with threats of disciplinary action on any teacher found participating in the strike.

In a circular sent to all heads teachers of secondary schools, the commission warned that any teachers who absented themselves from work would be deemed to have contravened the teachers code of regulations.

TSC directed the heads of institutions to submit their returns to their respective TSC county directors on any cases of absenteeism.

Elsewhere seven Kuppet officials in Makueni County were on Tuesday arrested for allegedly inciting teachers to join in the strike.

The officials spent over four hours in Makindu police station after they were arrested at St Joseph Girls’ secondary school.

Along the roads in Central and South Rift regions, hundreds of pupils and students could be seen making their way back home from school.

Those who thought they would study at the Kenya National Library Service in the region were disappointed.

“The library shall remain closed between 24th and 30th. This is on account on annual stock-taking, “ read a handwritten notice placed at the gate. “Normal service shall resume on Monday 1st July.”