Kenya threatens teachers' over wage crisis
September 6 2015 By Abiodun Giwa
Kenya teachers' lot will either be improved or becomes worse by Monday September 7, 2015. Whatever happens will depend on the outcome of the face-off between the teachers and their employers, the teachers service commission, over the issue of wage hike and the strike the teachers has embarked upon.
A court of law has granted the teachers's request for a wage hike between 50 - 60%, but the government has been playing the ostrich for what it calls inability to immediately source money to meet the court's approval for the teachers's wage increase.
The teachers have said that if government officials can source money to pay their own wages and entitlements, they should as well be able to source money to pay the increase in teachers's wages, or be ready to face a strike action.
But the teachers's employers, the teachers's service commission, an arm of the government, has threatened fire and brimstone against the teachers, that should the teachers embark on a strike, which notice has not been given to it, they risk mass termination of employment.
The teachers have since gone on strike last Wednesday, three months after the court had approved a wage increase for them.They have called the bluff of their employers after three months of unfruitful jaw-jaw.
The teachers had told parents not to allow their kids to come to school on a particular date, because if the court ordered increase in their wage is not approved by the government and the teachers be made to see it in their payroll, no teacher will come to class to teach the kids.
Of course, the teachers' service commission went to court asking the court to stop the teachers's planned strike. The court declared the impending strike as unprotected, and the teachers's service commission had taken this this to describe the current teachers's strike as illegal.
Therefore, the teachers' service commission has issued a notice that any teacher who stays away from the classroom on Monday risks loss of employment. In between the teachers and the teachers' service commission are innocent children, who have become the 'proverbial grass', in the face-off between the teachers and the teachers' service commission.
Observers's question is how long will it take the government to source money to meet the payment for the court ordered increase in the teachers' wages?
Curious observers ask why can't the government take the bull by the horn to let the teachers know that it is ready to pay the court ordered increase in wages, but it needs time to work out the modalities, and that every dime the teachers are entitled from the day the court pronounced its judgment, will be paid in arrears no matter how late.
But they say the government's passiveness and leaving the teachers's commission to manage a bad public relations' situation leaves much to be desired. In this contention, the teachers are viewed as innocent. They cannot ask more or less than the court of law has ordered, and the government is not expected to disobey a court ruling.
A court of law has granted the teachers's request for a wage hike between 50 - 60%, but the government has been playing the ostrich for what it calls inability to immediately source money to meet the court's approval for the teachers's wage increase.
The teachers have said that if government officials can source money to pay their own wages and entitlements, they should as well be able to source money to pay the increase in teachers's wages, or be ready to face a strike action.
But the teachers's employers, the teachers's service commission, an arm of the government, has threatened fire and brimstone against the teachers, that should the teachers embark on a strike, which notice has not been given to it, they risk mass termination of employment.
The teachers have since gone on strike last Wednesday, three months after the court had approved a wage increase for them.They have called the bluff of their employers after three months of unfruitful jaw-jaw.
The teachers had told parents not to allow their kids to come to school on a particular date, because if the court ordered increase in their wage is not approved by the government and the teachers be made to see it in their payroll, no teacher will come to class to teach the kids.
Of course, the teachers' service commission went to court asking the court to stop the teachers's planned strike. The court declared the impending strike as unprotected, and the teachers's service commission had taken this this to describe the current teachers's strike as illegal.
Therefore, the teachers' service commission has issued a notice that any teacher who stays away from the classroom on Monday risks loss of employment. In between the teachers and the teachers' service commission are innocent children, who have become the 'proverbial grass', in the face-off between the teachers and the teachers' service commission.
Observers's question is how long will it take the government to source money to meet the payment for the court ordered increase in the teachers' wages?
Curious observers ask why can't the government take the bull by the horn to let the teachers know that it is ready to pay the court ordered increase in wages, but it needs time to work out the modalities, and that every dime the teachers are entitled from the day the court pronounced its judgment, will be paid in arrears no matter how late.
But they say the government's passiveness and leaving the teachers's commission to manage a bad public relations' situation leaves much to be desired. In this contention, the teachers are viewed as innocent. They cannot ask more or less than the court of law has ordered, and the government is not expected to disobey a court ruling.
