NAIROBI: The teachers' employer and two teachers unions still have a chance to end the salaries stalemate, before the verdict of the Industrial Court.
Justice Nduma Nderi said the door is not closed for discussions between Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
"The court will never take away the prerogative of the employer at any one time during the hearing of economic dispute," said Nderi.
He said TSC still has an opportunity to table its counter offer to the unions and reach an agreement ahead of the court ruling. "In the event that there will be no agreement before the matter goes into full hearing, still, the matter will be in the hands of the two unions and TSC until the court writes its judgment," he said.
This means that TSC and the two unions have up to the time Nderi makes his judgment to strike a deal. The deal reached shall only be required to be registered at the Industrial court.
"The two unions and the employer can solve the dispute at any time and bring the same to the attention of the court. In the event that there will be no consent until the end of the hearing, the court will only abide by the submissions of the parties," said Nderi.
ALLOWANCES OFFER
Nderi said the court shall be guided by the reports from Central Planning and Monitoring Unit (a government agency in charge of budgeting and allocations of funds to various government bodies). He made the statement on Monday when he also directed that TSC must file its memorandum today. Sources familiar with the details indicate that TSC shall only offer teachers' allowances to the tune of Sh9.3 billion, with no proposal on their salaries.
Further details indicate that State's position on salary increment to be pegged on job evaluation shall be held. "The Government position has not changed. There is no offer on salaries. The allowances offer the teachers were awarded but rejected is still on the table," said a source familiar with the document TSC shall file today.
The Government has maintained that so far, it has harmonised several allowances for all civil servants to the tune of Sh16 billion. These include commuter, responsibility, house, leave, hardship, medical, night out and special schools allowances. TSC also commits to introduced leave allowance for all teachers effective, payable once a year.
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