Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) officials and teachers from public schools stormed the institutions and ordered the management to close down and participate in the ongoing industrial action. Elgeyo/Marakwet Knut Executive Secretary John Cheberi said the union has compelled teachers in private schools to support the protests because they are the ultimate beneficiaries of the strike. “We will not allow them sit and watch us take to the streets yet when the government bows to pressure and accept to employ additional teachers they send their applications, “he said. On Tuesday, Knut mobilized its over 200,000 members to stay out of classrooms until the government implements their allowances signed more than a decade ago. The government has since taken a hardline position on the matter declaring that the strike was illegal and vowed punish those who are participating in the protest but the union has asked its members to not to be cowed. Mr Cheberi asked the government to make good its threat adding that teachers would not relent in fightingwhat is rightfully theirs. “Intimidations that are directed at our teachers are unacceptable and uncalled for. We will follow the law as we agitate for our demands it was agreed by the union and the government, “he said. Wareng Branch Knut Executive Secretary John Boor said they suspect the laptop project was a scheme to cut down on personnel and will sabotage it if their plight is not addressed. He also noted that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission ( SRC) had no part to play in an already negotiated Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA). “Their mandate will actually come in next year in July in the next financial year; otherwise we are looking at it as a ploy to buy time to let the CBA’s expire as introduced by Henry Kosgey’s Legal Notice No. 16 in 2003 when he was Education Minister,” he revealed.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:25:42 +0000
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