Teachers should engage to avoid needless feuds

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i

Grandstanding between the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) threatens to negate gains made in ensuring strikes are a thing of the past.

Coming at a time when the education sector is in dire need of sober minds to put it back on track, this is disheartening to parents and other stakeholders.

Last week, teachers' unions put up demands for pay rises of between 200 and 300 per cent. It has not escaped the public that the teachers’ employer had agreed to a settlement of between 50 and 60 per cent as ordered by the Industrial Court.

This followed a protracted strike at the start of second term in 2015. That agreement did not come to fruition after the Government reneged on it, arguing it did not have enough money to effect the rise without hurting the economy and possibly triggering a ripple effect within the Civil Service.

In anticipation of hard bargaining over what teachers truly deserve, the Teachers Service Commission organised a five-day training session at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu for Kenya National Union of Teachers and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers officials. While Knut is said to have boycotted the seminar, Kuppet attended, and therein lies the problem.

A divided house cannot stand. Knut and Kuppet officials must act in unison to make any meaningful gains. Boycotting forums where agreements can be reached will only serve to work against teachers while buying the Government time even as learners suffer the consequences of industrial action.

The importance of honest dialogue in resolving outstanding issues cannot be over emphasised, and that is the reason all parties must come down from their high pedestals and agree to structured talks. It is dishonest of Knut to put forward proposals then refuse to engage.