Wednesday, September 5, 2012

No work, no pay, striking teachers warned



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By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Tuesday, September 4  2012 at  23:37
IN SUMMARY
  • The Teachers Service Commission issued a circular to all schools announcing suspension of all services to striking teachers.
  • Education minister Mutula Kilonzo said the teachers would not be paid for the days they were on strike.
  • But Knut, the main teachers’ union, dismissed the TSC, saying it had no authority over striking teachers who would not obey its directives.
The government has hit back at striking teachers, saying they would not be paid for the days they boycott classes.
But their unions were unmoved, insisting there would be no return to work until their demands were met.
The Teachers Service Commission issued a circular to all schools announcing suspension of all services to striking teachers.
Education minister Mutula Kilonzo said the teachers would not be paid for the days they were on strike.
“This is only fair since the teachers had not worked during the days that they had been out of class according to conventional principles of labour,” he said.
The TSC asked teachers who were not taking part in the strike to report to their school heads or county education directors as they were taking stock of the strike progress.
“Principals, headteachers, deputy headteachers, heads of departments and senior teachers are requested to remain in schools and take care of the pupils, students and the institutional property,” read the TSC directive.
But Knut, the main teachers’ union, dismissed the TSC, saying it had no authority over striking teachers who would not obey its directives.
“Teachers have withdrawn their labour and they can only take directions from the unions as long as they are on strike.
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"TSC is now a constitutional commission and should not receive instructions from anyone,” Knut chairman Simon Sossion said.
Take great exception
The union criticised Mr Kilonzo for terming the strike political. “Teachers take great exception to the utterances of the minister. Teachers are not politically or ethnically aligned. Our dispute is not political but on terms and conditions of service,” he said.
But Mr Kilonzo said the teachers signed the 1997 salary agreement during an election period, and that implementing it now would distort public pay at a time when the Constitution advocated for equality.
“I also have issues with the timing of the strike,” said the minister, who said the demands for new pay and implementation of the Legal Notice 534 on teachers’ allowances should have been brought up during the Budget proposals.
“This way, the government will have factored the demands of the teachers in the Budget since the country is now operating in a new budget-making process,” he said.
However, he said that he was awaiting the approval of the Cabinet to get Sh13 billion to harmonise the salaries of the teachers with the rest of the civil service as at July 1, 2012. The Cabinet meets on Thursday.
Knut maintained that the government had to offer them a 300 per cent salary increase and fully implement the 1997 deal for teachers to go back to classrooms.
Mr Sossion denied claims the union signed an agreement with the government that nullified the legal notice. “The teachers cannot, and will not get 300 per cent salary increment,” Mr Kilonzo said.
The highest paid teacher will take home Sh649,458 in gross pay while the lowest paid will earn Sh74,250 if their demands are implemented.
The teachers’ union also wrote to the police complaining of use of force on their striking members. “We are going to take legal action,” Mr Sossion said, adding that so far, two teachers had been admitted to hospital after they were assaulted by police on Monday.
And Chief Justice Willy Mutunga on Tuesday declined to state whether the courts would take action against teachers’ union officials who have disobeyed orders stopping the strike.
“The matter is already in court and I cannot comment on it because I sit in the Supreme Court and the matter may end here,” said Dr Mutunga.
In Nairobi and adjacent areas, schools in different counties remained closed as teachers kept away from classrooms despite a court order declaring the strike illegal.
A spot check by the Nation in Nairobi found that no teaching took place at Kilimani, Olympic and Lang’ata primary schools. However, Moi Girls High School was open and learning was going on as usual.
In Kiambu County, schools remained deserted and, unlike on Monday, pupils did not go to school. Knut Thika branch executive secretary George Murimi termed the strike a “complete success”.
And a university staff union leader condemned police violence on striking Murang’a teachers on Monday.
Mr Mutuura Mberia, the national vice-chairman of the Universities Academic Staff Union, said action should be taken against the officers who beat up and injured demonstrating teachers.
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In Nyeri, some school heads sat their Kenya Education Management Institute exam under tight security. This followed an attempt on Monday by striking teachers to disrupt the exams being held at Nyeri Technical Training Institute.
In Kirinyaga, Kuppet executive secretary Njogu Mbui said teachers would not step into the classrooms. In Matungulu and Kangundo districts, there was no learning in public primary schools, but operations in private schools were uninterrupted.
Secondary schools in Makueni and Machakos opened on Tuesday for third term. Many parents who spoke to the Nation said they were in dilemma as to whether to take their children to school.
Makueni Knut branch executive secretary Francis Muia warned parents that they would have themselves to blame if anything bad happens to their children.
By Benjamin Muindi, Oliver Musembi, Gastone Valusi, Bob Odalo, James Ngunjiri and George Munene

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