Comply with court order, Sossion tells gov’t

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion has told the government to comply with the court order requiring the Teachers Service Commission to increase teachers’ salary by 50 to 60 per cent.

In a KTN interview on Monday, Sossion recalled the government’s call to teachers early in the year urging them to adhere to a court ruling and resume duty, noting that it is their turn to do the same.

The secretary general said the union had instructed its lawyers to write to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the National Treasury to call for the revision of the salaries to adhere to Labour Relations Court ruling to increase teachers’ pay effective end of August.

“We have instructed our lawyer to write to TSC and the Treasury to push for revision of salaries. We would like to call on the government to comply with the court ruling and effect pay increment for teachers,” he said.

The unionist added that TSC should recall and review the already printed salary slips and incorporate the new rates as per the court ruling.

“TSC has the capacity recall the payroll and make necessary adjustments that will incorporate the 50 to 60 per cent pay rise,” he said.

Sossion’s sentiments follow a Supreme Court decision, made on Monday afternoon, to deny an appeal by the TSC seeking to quash a stay order enforced by the Court of Appeal on the new pay issue.

Through Deputy Chief Justice Kaplana Rawal, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction over the matter and ordered TSC to comply with the Court of Appeal ruling.

In a ruling made in July, Court of Appeal had asked TSC to comply with a Labour Relations Court ruling and increase teachers’ salaries pending the hearing of their appeal slated for September 22.

Supplementary budget

Sossion warned that schools would not reopen in September 1 if teachers will not have received the new salary increments by then.

“Of course schools cannot open if teachers have not been paid. We need a confirmation from TSC by tomorrow (Tuesday) saying they have effected the new rates.”

Sossion rubbished claims that the government has no money to cater for the new salary demands saying he had received assurance from members of Parliament that they were willing to create a supplementary budget to cater for the new pay scale.

He also denied reports that Kenyan teachers are the highest paid in the region, saying the reports do not factor in strong economies such as South Africa where teachers reportedly earn 10 times more than their Kenyan counterparts.

Sossion also expressed his support for teachers’ job evaluation, but pointed out that the exercise should be carried out by the TSC and not the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.