PRESS RELEASE BY KNUT: TEACHERS STRIKE ON 5th JULY 2013 We appreciate the presidents timely intervention; HOWEVER we have NOT received service of any orders from anyone; let it be known that strikes can never be resolved through orders only candid negotiations will end the strike. Government should stop hiding behind the Courts; 1. You all witnessed the cabinet secretary stating that if the court declares the strike illegal then TSC will not pay. TSC is now inhumanly denying teachers their salaries contrary to the Employment Act section 18 on workers entitlement to salaries which states at subsection (2) THAT;- “wages or salaries shall be deemed to be due (c) in the case of an employee employed for a period exceeding one month , at the end of each month or part thereof.” KNUT DEMANDS THAT THE TSC RELEASES JUNE 2013 TEACHERS SALARIES IMMEDIATELY. 2. The A.G should steer away from this labor dispute as he is not a party. He is now interfering with the TSC which is an independent constitutional commission; with its own legal experts. Article 249 (2) of the constitution states THAT; Commissions and holders of independent offices (a) are subject only to this constitution and the law; and (b) are independent and not subject to direction or control by any person or authority. The AG should henceforth cease micro managing the commission and stick to his role of advising the executive. 3. The AG has been the source of all this troubles in the education sector. He has consistently mis- advised government about L.N No. 534 of 1997 and we have learnt that it is his office that gazzetted L.N No. 16 of 2003 contrary to the law. That is why he is defending it. We urge that he begins to conduct his office in accordance with Article 73 of the constitution; sections (2) states that; authority assigned to a state officer is a public trust to be exercised in a manner that demonstrates respect for people and (4) promotes public confidence in the integrity of the office and (b) vests in the state officer the responsibility to serve the people , rather that the power to rule them 4. We have read and seen report in the media that he has gone to court for Contempt of court proceedings. Let him know that we shall not be cowed by his threats AGAINST KNUT leadership. He has even stated, that he wants the courts to IMPOSE A FINE of 20 million shillings on the KNUT so that he can auction the KNUT HOUSE; Is this not interference with courts; The AG wants to be prosecutor and also the Judge before the case has been heard. 5. KNUT is waiting for the AG to come and serve whatever documents he has; if he does we shall immediately summon our NEC and the Advisory Council to deliberate and give us instructions. 6. We have heard that KUPPET has signed an inferior deal with government. We wonder where government got money to pay those billions. We wish to state here and now that KNUT is a SUBSTANTIVE MEMBER of the Consultative Committee on Teachers ’ Remuneration; and the TSC Act, requires that that ANY new deal on teachers salaries should have been tabled before this committee for adoption. That it has not been table in the committee makes the deal irregular and unacceptable. 7. We are also surprised why a government would place an offer to ITS OWN union (KUPPET) and refuse to put the deal before THE TEACHERS UNION (KNUT). Why is the government engaging in selective negotiations? Teachers cannot be fooled that easily. The government knows that the new deal is illegal; BUT it wants to divide teachers so that it can disorganize our members. That deal is a waste of time and money. The strike will remain until our demands are met. 8. We reiterate that the contents of L.N No 534 of 1997 concerning the remaining allowances should be implemented in full. At the same time if the AG wants to arrest us, we are also available RIGHT HERE.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 15:27:58 +0000