TSC halts hiring of relief teachers

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has halted hiring of 70,000 relief teachers in adherence to a court ruling, as they await a hearing slated for October 12th  2015 where the recruitment case will be determined.

On 2nd October, the Employment and Labour Relations Court temporarily stopped the hiring of relief teachers by 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 was meant to mitigate against the dispute between teachers and the TSC.

According to TUC-K, the act was a threat and violation of teachers’ fundamental rights to go on strike and to reasonable working conditions

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

Justice Nderi had earlier said that the exercise would have only kicked on if teachers wouldn’t have reported to class on October 12th when the case will be mentioned.

The TSC had on 1st October 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.

In a further blow to teachers, the government is still withholding the September salaries of more than 230,000 teachers in public schools following what it said was the teachers’ failure to obey a court order suspending the strike.

Only 43,000 teachers, who have been on duty, received their September salaries and allowances.

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

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

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) called off the strike on Saturday saying that the decision was in line with a court ruling that suspended the strike for 90 days

Speaking when calling off the strike, 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 was 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 yet to be determined.

The Court of Appeal will on November 6th rule on whether the 50 – 60% pay rise awarded to the teachers by the Employment and Labour Relations Court in June this year is legal.

The five-judge-bench said it will deliver a ruling on the matter after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) contested the award by the Labour Court.

Tags:

tsc KNUT KUPPET Secretary General Wilson Sossion kaimenyi chairman Mudzo Nzili

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