NAIROBI, Kenya, The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) on Sunday announced that it will hold a steering committee meeting on Monday to decide if it will abandon a nationwide strike planned for September during the re-opening of public schools.
KNUT National Chairman Mudzo Nzili told Capital FM News that after the consultations, the steering committee will then advise its members on the way forward regarding the implementation of the 50-60 percent pay increase.
“We are consulting tomorrow for the way forward before we make a grand announcement. We shall advise our members,” he said.
Earlier this month, KNUT said it would protest the government’s failure to honor a court ruling which awarded teachers a 50-60 percent pay increase.
Through KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion, KNUT served the government with a seven day notice, time which he said was reasonable enough for the government to honor the court order.
The KNUT leadership accused the government of failing to respect negations between the union and the government which were anchored on a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
READ: KNUT to decide status of September strike Friday
With schools opening during the first week of September that commences on Monday, Deputy President William Ruto asked teachers to give the government time to work on strategies of implement the court order.
He urged them to abandon the planned national wide strike to ensure school learning is not interfered with being the third term when Standard Eight and Form Four students sit their national examinations.
Ruto said the government was working with TSC to resolve the impediment likely to interfere with learning across the country.
READ: Be patient as cash sought, DP Ruto tells teachers
Meanwhile, TSC later on Sunday said it had not received any strike notice and that it expected that all teachers report to work on Monday.
It noted that the industrial dispute over teachers’ salary was before the Appeals Chamber and that the hearing was slated for September 22, meaning that teachers have to wait for a determination before taking any action.
“The commission has not received any strike notice from either KNUT or Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET). In any case the only dispute the commission is aware of is the Economic Dispute which is the subject matter of an appeal in the Court of Appeal. All teachers are therefore, expected in their respective work stations from Monday…,” TSC stated on a press release sent to newsrooms on Sunday.