Why Kenyan schools won’t reopen

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) secretary general Wilson Sossion compares the basic salary of teachers with teachers service commission as he was addressing the press on the teachers salary and closure of schools by the government at the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) offices.He is flanked by Chairman (KNUT) Mudzo Nzili on 21september 2015.PHOTO DAVID GICHURU

Hopes that learning will resume in public schools today have been dashed after the two teachers unions asked their members to continue boycotting work.

A defiant Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion (pictured) yesterday said teachers are still on strike until the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) withdraws a case pending before the Court of Appeal that he argues is hindering the reconciliation ordered by the Employment and Labour Relations Court on Friday.

Speaking to journalists in Bomet, Mr Sossion said while the teachers are ready to comply with the Labour and Employment Relations Court ruling, TSC should play its part.

He warned that if TSC is unwilling to withdraw the case pending before the Court of Appeal, which is challenging the 50-60 per cent salary increment, the court ruling asking teachers to resume work for the sake of children will be rendered impotent.

"Teachers should not take orders from anybody, they should wait for our directive and as I speak the strike is still on until we declare it over and no teacher should turn up for work despite the Government announcement that schools reopen," he said.

He regretted that ending the strike without meaningful agreement between TSC and teachers would mean that teachers would be on strike again in January at the expiry of the 90-day suspension directed by the court last Friday.

"We are not ready to be on strike in January since we want to settle the dispute once and for all. Being out on strike every now and then is not our wish and therefore this is the time," Sossion said.

He said Knut will be in court tomorrow to argue their case and later make an announcement to teachers on the way forward.

Kuppet also told its members not to resume work without official communication from the National Governing Council.

The union plans to go to court to get an interpretation of the court order. "None of our members will be going back to class without a clear clarification of the court order. We are the only mandated authority to decide if the teachers go back to school or not," Secretary General Akelo Misori said.