Church calls on teachers to drop strike

The Catholic Church of Kenya has called on teachers to abandon the ongoing industrial action and go back to school as dialogue on pay rise takes place.

The Catholic Church said it disturbed over the strike by public schools teachers in order to compel the government to comply with the ruling of the Supreme Court upholding the order by the Industrial Court to pay them a 50-60 percent salary increase.

In a statement signed by Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) – Commission for Education and Religious Education chairman Reverend Maurice Makumba, the church called for understanding and patience among teachers through their unions as the government works out a payment structure in conformity with the court ruling.

“We urge the two teachers’ unions, the Teachers Service Commission, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the Ministry of Education and the Treasury to immediately enter into dialogue and craft a collective payment formula for teachers,” read the statement.

The Church wants the schools opened to allow for learning as the candidates prepare for national exams.

“It is disheartening that teachers have to revert to strikes to sort out salary issues and further that the government has to wait for matters to reach such levels for them to react,” further read the statement. “By paralyzing education in our public schools, these perennial strikes are eroding the quality of education and in the long term spell doom for the social and economic development of the country.”

Learning in most public schools across the country remained paralyzed Wednesday as teachers downed tools over pay rise demands.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (KUPPET) officials said the strike officially commenced Tuesday, after the government failed to award them the 50 – 60% pay rise as directed by the courts.