Teachers' strike negotiations hit deadlock

By AUGUSTINE ODUOR

A crisis meeting between teachers, Government representatives, and Teachers Service Commission collapsed last night, further escalating the teachers’ strike that has now spread to secondary schools.

By the time we went to press, there was scant hope of a compromise between the sides to the dispute that has severely affected learning in public schools.

“The talks have been suspended to give the Government time to consult. The discussions resume on Thursday. We have not seen any counter-offer; we have not reached any agreement. Our demands are weighty. The strike is still on as there is no return-to-work formula,” said the chairman of the Kenya National Union of Teachers, Wilson Sossion.

Discussions have been going on and on and nothing happened. We believe in negotiations, but nothing came up. We asked the Government to stop playing games with teachers by introducing new issues. We will not allow them to play around with us,” he added.

The Standard learnt that the meeting was deadlocked because TSC and the Government side were demanding that Kenya National Union of Teachers drop their demand for a 300 per cent pay increase.

Instead they wanted the teachers to discuss harmonisation of their salaries even as the latter stood firm and the strike worsened.

Parents were Wednesday at a loss over whether to pay for a school term that will last only two months yet there appears to be no solution to the strike that was Wednesday joined by secondary school teachers

Before going into the meeting with the teachers’ representatives, Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo was adamant he would not discuss the 300 per cent increase demanded by Knut. Mutula said although he wanted dialogue, he was not ready to make the mistakes of his predecessors and make commitments he had no intention of honouring.

election year lies

“I am not going to tell you lies because I want to sleep comfortably as I do without worrying about what I promised. The 300 per cent increase is out of the question,” said Mutula.

He said every election year since 1997 teachers were lied to.

“Every Government makes promises to manipulate teachers, but the money is not there,” said the minister.  An official at the talks last night told The Standard through a mobile phone text message: “It is a stalemate.”

The meeting started late in the evening and was going on at the Ministry of Labour headquarters in Nairobi.  In attendance were representatives of the Teachers Service Commission and the ministries of Education, Public Service, and Finance.

Labour minister John Munyes was chairing the talks, which were meant to discuss a proposal by the Teachers Service Commission on harmonisation of salaries.

Knut national chairman Wilson Sossion, officials Mudzo Nzili and Xavier Nyamu participated in the talks, which started two hours late.

The rivalry between the two teachers’ unions, Knut and Kenya Union of Post- Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) played out at the talks after Knut officials refused to attend a joint meeting with their Kuppet colleagues. Knut officials went in first and Kuppet had not joined the talks by the time of going to press.

The unions’ have different grievances: Knut is pressing for 300 per cent salary increment alongside a raft of allowances while Kuppet is pressing for 100 per cent pay rise.

Authorities scrambled to contain the crippling strike even as Kuppet members Wednesday joined the industrial unrest, disrupting learning in secondary schools.  Public primary and secondary schools reopened on Monday for the third term during which national examinations are administered.

And today academic activities will be disrupted at public universities as lecturers walk out of lecture halls, escalating the crisis in the education sector.  This despite a last ditch attempts by management of public universities to suggest the strike had been called off.  Wednesday, University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Secretary General Muga K’Olale declared the lecturers’ strike would begin today at 8am in all public universities.

“We have not had a meeting with any Government official neither have they placed a counter proposal. The strike is still on,” Prof K’Olale told The Standard last night.  The position is contrary to communication from the University of Nairobi last evening suggesting management of varsities and Uasu had reached a deal.

“The unions and management have reached a deal and the announcement is going to be made at 5.30pm today at the Council Chamber,” said the invitation to newsrooms to cover the press conference.

But K’Olale said they were not party to any purported agreement.

Universities Non-Teaching Staff Union (Untesu) Secretary-General Charles Mukhwaya also backed his sentiments saying their members, too, would press on with the strike.

“The GoK/ VCs have called a press conference to call off the strike. You are advised that the strike is on, as the GoK (Government of Kenya) has not given the unions counter offers. Ignore such propaganda. Stay put the strike is on,” said Mukhwaya in a mobile phone text message to members. 

“We cannot sign any document or reach any agreement without prior meeting,” added K’olale.

Initial reports had indicated that Knut was pushing the Government to provide the Sh13.4 billion annually to harmonise teachers’ salaries with those of civil servants and pay allowances totaling more than Sh43 billion.