The prospect of striking teachers going without pay for three months after the government closed down primary schools indefinitely may have prompted Wednesday’s about- turn by Knut. After a 23-day standoff, authorities resorted to the drastic action exclusively reported by The Standard on Wednesday, which sent the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) in panic. With teachers’ June salaries withheld, the early closure of schools meant the freeze would have extended to August. That and fears among the union leadership that the Industrial Court could find top leaders in contempt of court would appear to have forced Knut’s hand. Indeed, during a meeting late yesterday with Deputy President William Ruto, union officials pleaded with government to withdraw the contempt case filed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). The court proceedings are against Knut national chairman Wilson Sossion and the acting secretary general Mudzo Nzili. “We have a court case which can ruin us on Monday please we would like the government to intervene,” said Nzili told the meeting in the DP’s office. The Industrial Court will on Monday rule on the fate of the officials whom TSC wants jailed for disobeying orders to call off the strike. Sossion for his part told the meeting also attended by Education PS Belio Kipsang: “Whatever has a beginning must have an end… this is our country and we must work together and get things moving.” Sossion and Nzili led officials to Ruto’s office where they camped for over two hours as he was away in Kitengela. Ruto was adamant the government would not yield to demands for higher pay and he ruled out payment of commuter allowances in one tranche. “The deal you have been given by the Teachers Service Commission on commuter allowance cannot be added or reduced…we are operating within a very tight budget,” Ruto said. “We want to negotiate in a structured manner so that the agreement is honoured irrespective of who is in office,” he added.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 06:09:15 +0000
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