Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 583515,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/583515/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 159,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "on Education regarding the ongoing teachers strike. The Senator requested me to explain the circumstances that have led to the strike; (a) explain what the Government is doing to address the demands of teachers and or remedy the situation; (b) state when learning will resume in public schools; (c) update the House on the measures undertaken by the Ministry of Education in addressing the education crisis in the counties of Wajir, Mandera and Garissa. I beg to respond as follows: The strike was occasioned by the ruling of the Employment and Labour Relations Court on 30th June, 2015, which awarded a salary increment to teachers of between 50 to 60 per cent, backdated to 1st July, 2013 and spread to 30th June, 2017. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) appealed against the court ruling seeking for stay of execution but the Court of Appeal during it sitting on 23rd July, 2015, gave a conditional stay that the TSC effects teachers basic salary effective 1st August, 2015. The matter is coming up for hearing on 22nd September, 2015. The above notwithstanding, the Kenya National Union of teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) used the ruling to call on teachers to go on strike if the TSC would not honour the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruling. According to the school’s learning calendar, the third term was scheduled to open on Monday 31st August, 2015 for both day, public primary and secondary schools. Boarding schools were to open on 2nd and 3rd September, 2015. However, the two unions went ahead and declared the strike asking parents not to take their children to school and teachers to keep off from the schools. The Ministry has so far held a series of consultative meetings with Cabinet Secretaries of the Ministries of Labour, Treasury, Interior and National Coordination, Office of the Attorney-General, TSC and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission among others, all aimed at resolving the salary increase demanded by the two unions on behalf of the teachers. After lengthy deliberations, it was noted with concern that meeting the demands of the teachers would have the following implications:- 1. Far reaching economic consequences as other public servants would be prompted to ask for the same. The Public Service Commission has already indicated that other public servants would demand for a similar salary increase if the teachers’ salaries were effected. 2. Further, the Salary Review Commission confirmed that salaries for teachers and other civil servants had already been harmonized. 3. The wage bill for public servants would be a heavy burden to the country. 4. An increase in taxes sharply raising the prices of basic commodities pushing up the cost of living, burdening the citizens who are already heavily taxed. 5. The Government would be required to source for additional funding to mitigate the resultant budget deficits. To remedy the situation, the following measures have been taken with regard to the ongoing teachers strike. The TSC is an independent commission and the teachers’ employer is already in court appealing against the ruling of the High Court to increase The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}