Teachers strike called off as KNUT vows to battle TSC in court

Teachers have called off the five-week long strike that has paralysed learning in all public schools across the country.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) called off the strike saying that the decision was in line with a Employment and Labour Relations Court ruling suspending the strike for 90 days.

KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion said that teachers will now resume duties on Monday, October 5^th, 2015.

Sossion said that the ruling by Justice Nelson Obuodha suspending the strike and failure by Justice Nduma Nderi to issue orders not to suspend the strike were unfair.

The two judges, both of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, said that the strike remained suspended even as an appeal challenging the pay rise is ongoing.

The union further said that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has failed to comply with an earlier court order warning it against withholding teachers’ pay for the month of September.

TSC said 230,000 teachers would not receive pay for the month of September, which they were on strike. Only 43,000 teachers, mainly head teachers, their deputies and heads of departments received their pay.

KNUT now says it will contest the TSC’s act in the Court of Appeal until teachers get justice.

On Friday, the Employment and Labour Relations Court temporarily stopped the hiring of 70,000 teachers by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) after the Trade Union Congress Kenya (TUC-K) filed a case challenging the move.

Through a certificate of urgency application, TUC-K through their advocate Wilfred Nyamu, contested the decision by TSC to recruit the teachers saying the act is meant to mitigate against the current dispute between teachers and the TSC.

Justice Nduma Nderi of the Employment and Labour Relations Court issued the orders on condition that the teachers go back to class as directed by Justice Nelson Abuodha.

Justice Nderi said that if the teachers do not go back to class by Monday, October 12th when the case will be mentioned, the temporary orders on recruiting teachers stand a chance of being lifted.

The TSC had on Thursday announced that it was going to hire teachers on a three month contract basis following the five week long teachers strike.

TSC intended to recruit 50,000 primary and 20,000 secondary school teachers.

Teachers stayed away from classrooms even after the Court suspended the strike for 90 days.

The Labour Court said that despite the strike being legal, it stands suspended for 90 days until the dispute surrounding their pay rise is resolved.

The Court further warned the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) from victimizing any teacher and pay them their salaries for the month of September which they have been on strike.

Teacher’s downed their tools at the beginning of September over the pay dispute paralyzing learning activities in all public schools across the country.