Thursday, September 6, 2012

Teachers' strike still on as salary talks to resume



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By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, September 5  2012 at  20:13
IN SUMMARY
  • The Education ministry, represented by acting permanent secretary George Godia, asked the teachers to call off the strike first before negotiations could proceed.
  • But angry union officials rejected Prof Godia’s request, saying they would stick to their demands and continue boycotting classes until they got the salary increase.
  • The meeting, which started at 3pm, was mediated by Labour Minister John Munyes and had representatives from the government, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet).
The teachers’ strike enters its fourth day on Thursday after pay talks between the government and trade unions were suspended on Wednesday night.
This came after the government side sought more time to consult over the matter. Knut chairman Wilson Sossion told journalists that his union had agreed to the request in a bid to resolve the impasse.
“We will give them more time...so we will resume the talks tomorrow (Thursday),” Mr Sossion said. Sources at the meeting said that the parties had differed on how to resolve the salary row.
The Education ministry, represented by acting permanent secretary George Godia, asked the teachers to call off the strike first before negotiations could proceed.
But angry union officials rejected Prof Godia’s request, saying they would stick to their demands and continue boycotting classes until they got the salary increase. (READ: New school term hit as teachers stay away)
The ministry on Wednesday ceded its tough stance of not talking to teachers and embraced dialogue brokered by the Labour ministry.
The meeting, which started at 3pm, was mediated by Labour Minister John Munyes and had representatives from the government, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet).
After Wednesday night’s meeting, Mr Munyes said the government would insist that teachers prove why they are making demands for huge salary increments.
“The teachers’ unions have to justify why they are asking for this money, but the government is willing to negotiate and we hope we will reach a solution by the end of tomorrow (Thursday) so that teachers can resume duty,” he said.
Earlier, Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo said the meeting was crucial to ending the stalemate. “We hope the meeting will resolve the stalemate to enable candidates adequately prepare for the forthcoming national exams,” Mr Kilonzo said.
In Nyeri County, Kuppet and Knut members held joint demonstrations as public schools remained deserted.
However, it emerged later that learning was taking place in some schools in Othaya District. Union officials vowed to mobilise members and march to public schools where learning was taking place to eject teachers from classrooms.
In Kirinyaga County, teachers demonstrated in Kerugoya Town before proceeding to a nearby church for prayers, vowing to continue with the strike.
In Murang’a, Kuppet criticised a move by Knut to flush out school heads sitting management course examinations.
The union condemned an incident in which hundreds of Knut members stormed Mumbi Girls Secondary on Monday where headteachers were sitting their promotional exams.
On Monday, the Knut members clashed with the police, leaving six of them injured. In Meru, public schools remained closed as learning continued in private academies.
In Nyanza, headteachers from Siaya County threatened to withdraw from Knut to protest the violence unleashed on their colleagues by striking teachers. They said the confrontational manner in which the teachers engaged them was barbaric.
In Homa Bay, over 1,000 headteachers, who had been taking a three-day management course examination, took to the streets in solidarity with the striking teachers.
In Nakuru, public school teachers vented their anger on their colleagues in private schools for not joining them in the strike. And nearly 100 teachers in Nakuru Town were blocked by police from holding a peaceful procession.
In the North Rift, Kuppet officials asked members to stay away from schools until their demands are met.
Kuppet national chairman Omboko Milemba told the Nation on phone that continuous assessment tests normally administered in schools on opening days will not be done.
There was tension in Kabarnet on Wednesday after Kuppet officials and teachers marched to Kapropita Girls Secondary School where some school heads were sitting their management course exams. However, local Kuppet officials said they did not intend to disrupt the exercise.
At the Coast, striking teachers on Wednesday asked the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha) to call off their intended annual conference.
No learning
Mr Stephen Ouma, Knut Mombasa executive secretary, argued that it would be ‘foolish’ to hold the conference with the ongoing labour dispute.
On Wednesday, Mombasa secondary school teachers began their strike at the Kuppet office by holding a brief demonstration and roll-calling. There was no learning in all public secondary schools in the area.
In Kwale County, teachers asked Prime Minister Raila Odinga to intervene in the matter while in Lamu, teachers vowed not to resume duty until their demands were met.
By Benjamin Muindi, Geoffrey Ombogo, Justus Wanga, Lillian Ochieng’, Maurice Kaluoch, Mwakera Mwajefa, Amina Kibirige, Zahra Rashid, Francis Mureithi, Simon Siele, James Ngunjiri, George Munene, Samuel Karanja, Ouma Wanzala, Wycliffe Kipsang and Jonathan Komen

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