Teachers back to Supreme Court over the 50 – 60% pay rise

Teachers have moved to the Supreme Court seeking a review of the recent ruling by the same court on their 50% to 60% pay rise case.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion on Friday said despite both Treasury and Education Cabinet Secretaries having positively supported and structured the dialogue to move the dispute towards a resolution on salary increment and the signing of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been largely negative and difficult by taking the union round in circles.

President Uhuru Kenyatta had issued a directive to TSC and teachers unions, KNUT and KUPPET, to set measures in resolving the dispute on salaries.

“While KNUT will continue to engage in dialogue, we as the servants of the teachers who elected us to lead them owe a duty to ensure the teachers appeal to the Supreme Court is not locked out by expiration of the time limited by law for filling the appeal that expires today, Friday 18th, 2015,” he said.

During the National Delegates Conference on 8^th to 9^th December, the union had threatened to start a process of removing top Teachers Service Commission (TSC) officials if the increment awarded to them by the Employment and Labour Relations Court in June is not effected in two weeks.

KNUT has made it clear that if and when the dialogue leads to an amicable resolution of the dispute, its appeal in the Supreme Court will be promptly withdrawn.

They claimed that TSC had doubled its staff salaries with no consideration for teachers.

Last week, Sossion said should the Collective Bargaining Agreement not be signed before Christmas, then TSC officials will not be in office by January.

On the other hand, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education of Teachers (KUPPET) had earlier announced that it will go to the Supreme Court to block the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) from determining the teachers’ salaries if the increment is not effected.

KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori stated that TSC should comply with the President’s directive of having dialogue with teachers’ to end the protracted court battles that have stretched for years.

The appeal made Friday may impede further negotiation between the teachers’ unions and TSC in a bid to end the decade-long wrangles over salary increment.