Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Hope of deal to end strike dims as Knut officials storm out of talks

Updated Tuesday, July 9th 2013 at 23:16 GMT +3


By FELIX OLICK and ROSELYNE OBALA
Nairobi, Kenya: Officials of Knut Tuesday night stormed out of talks with the Teachers Service Commission dimming hopes of a deal to end the national strike. Earlier, Knut ( Kenya National Union of Teachers) had rejected the Government’s Sh17 billion offer to striking teachers and vowed to press on with the strike that has crippled learning in public education sector for the third week.
Knut officials dismissed the State offer as “inferior” and went back to the hardline position of demanding Sh47 billion needed to settle allowances under the disputed 1997 deal.
The Standard established the Government has offered to provide Sh11.5 billion to harmonise commuter allowance subject to the payment being staggered in five phases. On responsibility allowance, the Government negotiating document seen by The Standard reads: “As a matter of policy, responsibility allowance will be restricted to teachers of job Group K and below and paid at 100 per cent of prevailing rates.”
A source said Knut rejected the offer because it only benefits primary school teachers and does not factor their secondary school counterparts. Special school allowances “which will be paid at 200 per cent of existing rates.” The document details the Government has proposed that the offer is implemented administratively at a cost of Sh225 million.
Yesterday, Knut officials dismissed the Government offer for staggering the payment in three phases, insisting they want a one-off payment of Sh47 billion. First vice national chairman Samson Kaguma and second vice national chairman Wycliffe Omuchei maintained their agreement with the Government in 1997 must be addressed in full.
Relevant offer
 Knut is not only dismayed at this offer, but also considers this an insult to teachers. We totally reject this offer and we are asking the Government to put a more serious and relevant offer on the table,” said Omuchei.
The development came on a day contempt proceedings instituted by TSC ( Teachers Service Commission) against Knut officials for defiance of a court order were suspended.
The officials, who were served with court papers on Monday, are required to comply by calling off the industrial action within 24 hours or risk the proceedings being lifted. But the officials maintained that the 24-hour ultimatum by the Industrial Court was not realistic.
“The structures of Knut are very clear. We cannot end the strike unless advised by the National Executive Council. Some of them come from as far as Turkana,” Kaguma told a press conference atKnut headquarters in Nairobi yesterday. Kaguma and Omuchei have taken over public pronouncements from Knut chairman Wilson Sossion and acting secretary general Mudzo Nzili, who were cited for contempt of court.
On Wednesday, TSC directed heads of secondary schools to recall students. Teachers who do not report to duty will face sanctions. TSC cited its deal with Kuppet that ended the strike. Yesterday, the deadlock with Knut officials deepened after they walked out of negotiations spearheaded by TSC officials. The teachers insisted that they want a house allowance at a rate of 50 per cent of their basic salary, medical allowance of 20 per cent of their basic salary as well as harmonisation of commuter allowance.
However, according to Knut, the Government has declined to pay teachers medical allowance and is even intending to renegotiate the health package that the union had clinched with NHIF. They also said that the Government has declined to negotiate house allowance and is only ready to negotiate commuter allowance, readers allowance for disabled teachers and special allowance.
“We demanded a commuter allowance of 50 per cent. The government is offering 30 per cent in three phases. No Kenyan teacher is ready to take the phases. Once bitten, twice shy,” said Omuchei in relation to the 1997 deal.
“ We remember in 1997 we negotiated very well and this is the same ghost that is haunting us today. We want to tell the government that the Kenyan teachersare not going to take that lying down,” he explained.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi had earlier disowned an agreement signed between the Government and Knut in 1997, which the teacherswant implemented at a cost of Sh47 billion. Sources Privy to the negotiations indicated that President Uhuru Kenyatta had advised TSC’sChief Executive Officer Gabriel Lengoiboni to sign a deal with Kuppet insisting that the Government cannot raise the Sh47 billion.
“He talked to the President on phone as the negotiations were on. The president is advising that he signs a deal with Kuppet if they accept,” said the source. In a sign that the teachers might not get the Sh47 billion, which they had been clamouring for, the source indicated that the Government had stretched itself to offer the Sh17 billion since it was not allocated in the budget.
Kaguma who spoke on behalf of the National Chairman Wilson Sossion urged the TSC not to resort to underhand tactics during the negotiations. The union leaders criticised TSC for serving them with court orders at their offices after calling them for negotiations.

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