TEACHERS SERVICE REMUNERATION COMMITTEE (TSRC) UNFINISHED BUSINESS

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May 20, 2009.

PRESS STATEMENT:

TEACHERS SERVICE REMUNERATION COMMITTEE (TSRC) UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Bwana Minister, you did establish under Section 13(1) of the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) Act, Cap 212; the Teachers Service Remuneration Committee (TSRC), to consider the remuneration of teachers in the teaching service.

The committee began its work in mid May 2008. At its meeting of June 23, 2008, it resolved to deal with the issue of the basic salaries first and the other remunerations like allowances etc be dealt with later after concluding the basic salaries issue.

The basic salaries agenda took long and even then, the committee was unable to resolve it, and this resulted in this union calling out the teachers on strike that lasted from January 19 to January 29, 2009.

The agreement between the union and the Kenya Government to end the strike was signed on January 29, 2009 which stated that the allowances issue was pended awaiting the resumption of the TSRC meeting as had been agreed earlier in the committee.

With the strike issue behind us, the union petitioned the Chairman of the committee as per Third Schedule, Section 2 of the TSC Act to convene the TSRC meeting to continue with the discussions on the issues that were pended on May 23, 2008.

At the reconvened meeting yesterday, Tuesday May 19, 2009, we were surprised to learn that the TSC Chairman has written to you, asking you to dissolve the TSRC using Section 51 of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act (Cap 2) Laws of Kenya.

Bwana Minister, we do not need to invoke the Interpretation and General Provisions Act as the TSC Act, Cap 212 is very clear, as provided in Section 14. The TSRC concluded its business by handing on to the Minister its recommendations for gazzetement and implementation.

The current position of the committee is that it still has unfinished business to transact. Dissolving the committee now is a recipe for discontent in the teaching service as you will have curtailed the only way to review the remuneration of teachers as provider by law.

The purpose of this letter is to ask you to ignore the advise of the Chairman of the TSC and allow the committee to continue with the work you have given us to its logical conclusion.

Bwana Minister, you have been very understanding and we believe you will continue to be as regards issues that concern the teachers. You handled the teacher’s strike maturely including the post strike issues that arose after the strike was called off.

Bwana Minister, the TSC Secretary is the Chief Executive of the Commission; the Chairman of the Commission can not and should not usurp the powers of the Commission Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Chairman’s advise to you is given in very bad faith from a person who does not have the interest of the teachers at heart.

In light of what he has done and considering his insincerity in his relationship with other stake holders, the union demands his removal from being the Chairman of the Commission as his continued staying at the TSC is no longer adding any value to the Commission.

We believe and trust that you will consider favourably the issue we have raised in this letter to you and take the necessary action to put things right.

The union’s demand is to let the TSRC conclude its business by deliberating on the unfinished issues as contained in the KNUT memorandum

Thank you.

(L. K. MAJALI)
SECRETARY GENERAL
K.N.U.T.

The Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Education,
P.O. Box 30040-00100,
NAIROBI.

The Secretary/Chief Executive,
Teachers Service Commission,
Private Bag,
NAIROBI.

The National Chairman,
KNUT Head Office.

The National Treasurer,
KNUT Head Office.