A teachers’ strike looms after salary talks between the teachers’ employer and unions was suspended indefinitely.
A letter seen by The Standard indicates that the Teachers Service Commission called off a meeting planned for Monday but failed to give a date for the next meeting.
“The commission members to the committee will be engaged in official assignments outside the office and therefore will not be able to attend the meeting,” reads the letter dated February 9 signed by Timon Oyucho for TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia. Angered by the development, Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion yesterday said the union will pull out of the salary talks altogether.
Knut issued a seven-day notice for a nationwide strike over the disputed performance appraisals and failure by TSC to remit union dues.
Sossion said he had already written to Labour Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie declaring a labour dispute on the two issues and that the salary stalemate would also be added into the dispute list.
The letter dated February 16 issues a seven-day ultimatum to the ministry to intervene, failure to which "we shall commence the process of industrial action with members' directions".
"Owing to the urgency of the matters in contest, Knut is left with no choice but to hereby declare a trade dispute and requires the immediate intervention of your office to prevent further escalation into an industrial action," reads the letter by Sossion.
Sossion said TSC had continued to implement performance contracting for heads and the appraisals for teachers against the wish of the union. He also said unions were yet to receive their dues for the past five months.
Communication from TSC however indicates the commission does not have union dues, as it has not deducted them from teachers' salaries.
Last year, TSC asked all teachers to validate their membership to the respective unions by end of this month, an exercise that has also been rejected by both unions.
Sossion said the union reads mischief in postponing the meeting where TSC was to table a salary increase counter-offer.
And yesterday, Sossion said the pay stalemate would be added onto the list of industrial dispute if TSC failed to table a counter-offer to facilitate signing of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) within the stipulated time frame.
"Be reminded that the Labour Relations Court on September 25 suspended the strike for a period of 90 days and shall be resumed without notice," reads the letter by Sossion.
A protest letter by Sossion to TSC boss Macharia on salary talks said postponing the Monday meeting killed the negotiation spirit.
Sossion also wondered why a letter cancelling the meeting was not drafted by senior TSC management and termed the postponement suspect.
The move comes days after The Standard exclusively revealed how TSC failed to table a counter-offer on teachers' demands during the January 29 meeting.
The previous meeting agreed that TSC would come with an offer during the February 15 meeting.
Minutes of previous meetings seen by The Standard revealed both parties agreed to come up with a draft CBA to be discussed further to produce the final document.
The committee also resolved that the draft CBA contain items listed on the joint memorandum tabled during one of the meetings.
The memorandum stated TSC would only effect salary adjustments after the ongoing job evaluation.
The document also indicated promotions would strictly be pegged on the ongoing performance appraisals.
This effectively means the salary increase would have to wait for the two processes that TSC said would inform the salary increase.
