Teachers announce start of strike as TSC returns to Supreme Court
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) formally announced the start of their nationwide strike on Wednesday moments after their employer had returned to the Supreme Court for a review of the ruling that had upheld an order for a 50 to 60 per cent pay rise for teachers.
Knut announced the start of the strike after a meeting of the unions national executive committee.
Secretary General Wilson Sossion told parents to keep their children at home because teachers will not return to schools until they are fully paid.
Their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), had earlier in the morning returned to the Supreme Court for a review of last week’s ruling that upheld the pay rise.
Justice Jackton Ojwang certified the application by TSC as urgent and directed that the case be mentioned on September 9 to fix a hearing date.
The Judge however refused to to give orders suspending payment of the salary increament.
The court further directed TSC to serve Knut and Kuppet with the application it filed in court.
At the press briefing however, union officials said government is ‘coming up with machineries to incite public against teachers.’
”Government has money. If they want peace in education sector, let them pay teachers.
Government saying there’s no money is noise to us and we read mischief,” said Mr Sossion.
“We are not moving an inch below what the court has awarded. Neither are we negotiating on anything, you cannot negotiate a court order,” he added.