/** headlines: 135.0 **/
** Topic: KENYA: National Teachers Strike Shuts Schools **
** Written 11:33 AM Jul 20, 1998 by labornet in cdp:headlines **
/* Written 8:37 PM Jul 19, 1998 by labornews@igc.org in labr.global */
/* ---------- "Kenya Nat Teachers Strike Shuts Sch" ---------- */

Teachers' Strike Paralyses Schools Nationwide

By Philip Ngunjiri, IPS, 16 July 1998

NAIROBI, Jul 16 (IPS) - Learning in Kenya's public schools has been paralysed by a nationwide strike by 260,000 teachers to protest the government's refusal to withdraw a controversial Bill that seeks to take away salary increases awarded last year.

Kenya's Minister for Labour, Joseph Ngutu, has declared the strike illegal, because he says the teachers, who began their action on Wednesday, did not serve him with a strike notice.

The government plans to introduce in Parliament The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Amendment Bill (1998) which gives the Minister of Education, "the discretion to reject any recommended remuneration which is not in keeping with economic management".

In a rare joint press conference at the beginning of the week, about 30 parliamentarians from the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) and the opposition, said they would defeat the Bill if it is tabled in Parliament.

The members of parliament (MPs) said: "Parliament should never be used to amend the law to deal retroactively with disputes which have already been settled." They also described the Bill as "punitive in its intent and obviously in bad taste".

Wednesday's strike action by the teachers has put on hold the education of some six million students. But the teachers say they will stand firm in their demand.

"The plundering of the economy continues unabated and the government must meet the teachers' pay demands since top civil servants are still living lavishly," said Ambrose Adongo, Secretary General of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).

The government has said it will not pay the second part of the teachers' pay and conditions package due this month. "Teachers must learn to be tolerant and allow the Parliament to debate the Bill, rather than demand its withdrawal at this stage," said the Minister for Education, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka.

In response to the government's defiance, KNUT's chairman, John Katumanga, said: "From now until the government meets our demand, it will be fire around the country".

Last November, the government awarded teachers a salary and allowances increase of between 150 and 200 percent. The increases were to be implemented in five phases between 1997-20001.

Political analysts now say that it is clear that the government awarded the increase in the run-up to the December general elections in order to win votes. Also, teachers staged an 11-day strike last year to win the increase.

The government now finds it hard to deliver on its promise, following a recent report from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) which noted that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shrank in each of the first three months of 1998.

CBK said the level of real GDP growth slowed to 1.9 percent in the year to March, from 2.3 percent in 1997. The declining economy has been attributed to a crumbling infrastructure, increased security, a declining tourist industry and more and more labour unrest.

Prior to the November increase, the annual wage of teachers amounted to 28 billion Shillings. The new package would require the government to part with 84.4 billion Shillings per year until the end of the five-phase exercise.

This is virtually impossible for the Ministry of Education which has a total budget of 45 billion Shillings annually. The Kenyan government's total revenue per year is estimated at about 170 billion Shillings. One U.S. dollar is equivalent to about 60 Kenyan Shillings.

On Tuesday, KANU's Parliamentary group recommended that all salary increments for the public sector be frozen until the economy improves. While the CBK predicts 2.7 percent growth for 1998, slashed from 3.0 percent, other analysts say the scenario for 1998 is likely to be negative growth.

President Daniel arap Moi, who chaired Tuesday's meeting, volunteered to slash his salary by half to show the way during Kenya's economic crisis. Ministers' salaries are to be cut by 30 percent.

Opposition political groups, trade unions and civic organisations however, have criticised the government for refusing to withdraw the controversial Bill, and for leading the country into another labour crisis.

In a statement, the Kenya Human Rights Commission's (KHRC) Executive Director Maina Kiai told the government to apologise for "pauperising teachers" when the economy was vibrant.

The Kenya Quarry and Mine Workers Union also called on the government to not renege on its pledge to the teachers. The union's Secretary General Wafula Musamia described as "hypocritical and dishonest" the argument by the education minister that the teachers' salary deal was signed under duress.

"Flexing the muscle will not help this nation, particularly at the time when the country is faced with a host of political, social and economic problems," said the opposition National Development Party (NDP).

Origin: Harare/LABOUR-KENYA/
[c] 1998, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
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