Teachers' strike: Who's fooling who?

Written By:Glena Nyamwaya,    Posted: Sun, Sep 04, 2011

It is still unclear whether teachers will make good their threat come Monday and down their tools Uncertainty looms over the threat by the Kenyan National Union of Teachers (KNUT) for the nationwide teachers strike as schools re-open for the third term on Monday. Knut deputy secretary general Xavier Nyamu on Saturday declared that the union will not enter into any negotiations with the government until the demand to employ 28,000 teachers is fulfilled. Speaking at Wamutitu Secondary school in Mukurweini district during a fundraiser, Nyamu asserted that: "we do not want negotiations; we want the 28,000 teachers employed." Nyamu asked parents to support the teachers cause, noting that education is for the welfare of the children. "Parents are with us. Children must be given quality education," he said, urging parents to keep their children at home during the strike period. The unionist accused Parliament of negating the promise to allocate funds to employ the 28,000 teachers as envisaged in vision 2030 to employ them by 2012. The secretary added that KNUT agreed to let the government hire teachers on contract against the International Labour Laws as a stop gap measure before employing them on permanent terms. Nyamu who was accompanied by the first KNUT national chairman, Samson Kaguma, second vice national chairman Wycliff Etole Omucheyi, Nyeri county branch officials among others said the country had a shortage of over 79,000 teachers. "We are only fighting for 28,000 teachers according to the government's vision 2030," he declared. He accused Treasury of diverting the 5.6 billion shillings allocated to Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to hire 18,000 teachers plus 10,000 more, to pay legislators' tax arrears. "It is unfortunate that Parliamentarians negated on the vote to use the money to pay their taxes," he added. He said teachers have been overburdened since inception of the Free Primary Education in 2003, compromising quality standards but teachers have remained patient as they are loyal, patriots and nationalists. He added that KNUT National Executive Council will meet next Tuesday to work out strategies on how to move forward. KNUT and KUPPET have issued a 7-day ultimatum for the government to employ the teachers or face industrial action. MPs a greedy lot Meanwhile, top KNUT officials in Siaya county on Saturday maintained that the strike by its members set for Monday is still on. Siaya County KNUT chairman Mr. Alex Dunga, National Executive Council member Mr. Clement Omollo and the acting Siaya branch executive officer Mr. Oduor Okola told teachers to ignore any propaganda that the strike had been called off after the government availed funds for recruitment of teachers. "It is the KNUT executive branch that called for the strike and unless you get communication from KNUT cancelling the same, it is still on" said Mr. Dunga. They accused politicians of selfishness, adding that the legislators did not want the ordinary citizens' children to acquire the best education by frustrating efforts to recruit more teachers. "With few teachers, your children cannot get quality education and they will end up serving the children of the politicians who are taken to high cost schools with better facilities and adequate teachers" said Mr. Dunga. The KNUT National Executive Council member Mr. Omollo warned that the common man will have to stand up to fight for his place in the society, saying that Kenya's leadership will continue revolve around specific families if action was not taken to ensure equity in the education sector. "We must be wary of the politicians who want to rule us for generations by denying our children the right to education" he said adding that with the constitution demanding that the top leadership be held by university degree holders, it was clear that majority of the children from poor families have been locked out leadership. Ignore notice, face action And in Kisii, uncertainty looms after the local teachers' union supported the strike notice announced by the national office. Led by executive secretary Shem Nyaundi, chairman Peter Riang'a and treasurer Haroun Gwoma, the branch urged its members to down their tools until advised otherwise by the head office. Speaking to KBC, Nyaundi said teachers who will defy the branch and national office position will have themselves to blame for anything that might befall them while in schools. This came as parents prepared their children for Monday's re-opening of learning institutions for the last term of the year. Those interviewed petitioned the government to avert the industrial action from the teaching fraternity by giving dialogue a chance. But the Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Prof. James Ole Kiyapi was quoted by the media as being ready to engage with the two teachers' unions with a view to resolving the matter amicably. The PS who is out of the country with Education Minister Prof. Sam Ongeri on official assignments, admitted that they were aware of the strike notice over demands for employment of teachers on permanent contractual terms. Meanwhile, the Labour ministry was reportedly quoted by the media as having invited the two unions, KNUT and KUPPET, for a crisis meeting on Monday when the teachers' notice elapses.