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| Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi (left) and Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli address a news conference in the former's office June 25 2013. Mr Kambi said the teachers' strike is illegal. PHOEBE OKALL |
The government has disowned an agreement
signed with the Kenya National Union of Teachers in 1997 that the
teachers want implemented at a cost of Sh47 billion.
Labour Cabinet Secretary
Kazungu Kambi stated categorically that there was no agreement, and that
the teachers’ strike is illegal.
The strike has disrupted learning in all government primary and secondary schools as the teachers kept away from the institutions following the call made by the union on Monday.
“Knut does not have a case
and I would advise them to get a collective bargaining agreement. Going
to the streets does not solve the issue but coming to the (negotiation)
table solves almost all the issues,” Mr Kambi said as he urged dialogue
to end the strike.
Asked to clarify, Mr Kambi
said: “The teachers only have a gazette notice that they have been
holding for a period of the last three or so governments. This notice
can be varied by anyone at any time.”
“I am urging Knut to first
get a CBA (collective bargaining agreement) because I want to regulate
and bring sanity to the labour industry.”
Labour Commissioner Sammy
Nyambari clarified the issue further, stating that the Legal Notice 534
of 1997 which is the basis of the on-going strike had not been
procedurally filed according to the Labour Relations Act.
Article 59 of that law, sub
section 5 states that: “A collective agreement becomes enforceable and
shall be implemented upon registration by the Industrial Court and shall
be effective from the date agreed upon by the parties.”
The two leaders spoke
alongside Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) boss Francis
Atwoli and Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) head Jacqueline Mugo at
the Ministry of Labour during the unveiling of a National Tripartite
Committee.
Sourse: DailyNation
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