Friday, September 7, 2012

Universities join strike as schools closed


By AUGUSTINE ODUOR
The turmoil in education sector continues after a daylong flurry of meetings between the Government and teachers failed to break the deadlock that has paralysed teaching in most public schools.
This happened as operations in all public universities stalled after staff went on strike to demand better pay.
Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Secretary General, Mutuura Mberia, led lecturers and members of the University Non-Teaching Staff Union (Untesu) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels and Educational Institutions and Hospitals Association (Kudheiha) in downing their tools, leaving students who reported for registration stranded (see story on Page 7).
The campus unions want the Government to resume the stalled 2010-2012 Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
Not even Prime Minister Raila Odinga could break the impasse between the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Government.  However in an attempt to demonstrate some normalcy, TSC ordered head teachers and their deputies to report to their workstations immediately. Negotiators worked out that at least Sh3.5 billion is required every month to meet at least two of Knut’s demands, but no commitment was made. 
Payment of all the allowances agreed under the 1997 agreement would require Sh2.4 billion, and an additional Sh1.12 billion monthly to harmonise teachers’ pay with those of civil servants.
But on day two of talks to end the crippling teachers’ strike, representatives of the Treasury were conspicuously absent.
After angry exchanges, Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo and Knut chairman Wilson Sossion had an early morning meeting at the minister’s Jogoo House office.
TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni and Education Permanent Secretary George Godia met Knut officials at TSC offices where they computed the Sh3.5 billion costs.
Last evening Lengoiboni and Godia rushed to brief Mutula at his Jogoo House office where Sossion was also present. 
But Knut officials reportedly were still adamant that teachers be paid a 300 per cent increment, and refused to attend further talks mediated by Labour Minister John Munyes, saying they were not yielding much.
Waste of time
Earlier in the morning, Munyes held a three-hour meeting with the Kenya Union of Post- Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and thereafter went to brief Raila.
Godia and Lengoiboni were also in attendance and briefed Kilonzo.
Sossion termed the meetings chaired by Munyes “a waste of time” and asked the Government to put something on the table.
“We are not happy when the Government behaves as if the strike caught them unawares. Let them show us what they have before we engage in any talks,” he said.
Sossion said Knut would not negotiate old agreements that had been gazetted.
“We are not ready to discuss or even negotiate with anybody about old deals. We do not discuss legal agreements or implementation of the law. That is not our business. It is about compliance,” he said.
Sossion said Knut leaders would only negotiate new demands with the Government. “They (Government) must learn to honour commitments,” he said.
But a morning meeting between Kuppet, the ministry, and Munyes seemed to have yielded some agreement.
Godia and Lengoiboni emerged from the meeting saying the talks had made some progress.
“We have made some progress on harmonisation of teachers’ salaries. But the details on individual issues under harmonisation are the details we are working on,” said Kuppet national chairman, Omboko Milemba.
“We are retreating to consult then we shall have another meeting later today, with the Government,” he said.
Compulsory
Kuppet is demanding a 100 per cent salary increment for secondary school teachers and harmonisation of their pay with that of civil servants.
Knut, on the other hand, wants a 300 per cent salary increment for its members and full implementation of the 1997 legal notice that widely commits the Government to factor in various allowances.
But amid the back-and-forth talks, TSC told head teachers in a circular that their presence in schools is compulsory to ensure the safety of students and protect property.
Authorities pledged the head teachers would be provided with adequate security.
Lengoiboni cited an agreement between Knut and TSC in 1967. The code of regulations was still in force, he added.
“We want all these teachers in schools. We have made plans to offer security to all teachers,” he said.
Lengoiboni reiterated the TSC circular to all county directors that all teachers who absconded duty would not be paid.
“We also said we shall withhold union dues for any teachers’ union that incites its members to carry on with the strike,” he said.
Binding notices
The Standard established that an evening meeting at TSC headquarters between Government and Knut representatives sought to establish how much it would cost the Government to settle the teachers’ demands.
Lengoiboni also said TSC is seeking a legal interpretation to ascertain if all the past legal notices are still binding.
“We want to know how binding they are in light of the developments, including promulgation of the new Constitution,” he said.
Sources familiar with the negotiations, however, said the Government is not keen on putting anything on the table until the teachers’ unions justify their demands.
But as talks continued, Knut Narok County branch leaders said they would not resume work until the Government honoured their demands.







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