Knut issues ultimatum over retired tutors’ pay

PHOTO | JENNIFER MUIRURI Kenya National Union of Teachers acting secretary-general Xavier Nyamu.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By GEOFFREY RONO grono@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Tuesday, November 13  2012 at  00:30

In Summary

• Kenya National Union of Teachers acting secretary-general Xavier Nyamu on Monday said upon the expiry of the ultimatum, they would convene an annual delegates conference to deliberate on their next move
• Mr Nyamu said most of the retired teachers were living in misery, unable to feed their families and afford medical services yet the government was withholding their money
• Mr Nyamu reiterated that Knut’s rival, Kenya Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), had no mandate to sit on the negotiations table for teacher pay rise with Teachers Service Remuneration Committee

A teachers’ union has given the government a 28-day notice to clear Sh33 billion debt owed to retired tutors or face the consequences.

Kenya National Union of Teachers acting secretary-general Xavier Nyamu on Monday said upon the expiry of the ultimatum, they would convene an annual delegates conference to deliberate on their next move.

The government, he said, had not paid pension to teachers who retired between 1997 and 2007 yet they had no disciplinary cases.

“The union will go by the resolutions that will be arrived at during the ADC. If the demands will be for the body to go on strike in order for the government to see the sense of paying the retirees their dues, so be it,” he said.

Mr Nyamu said most of the retired teachers were living in misery.

He said most of them were unable to feed their families and afford medical services yet the government was withholding their money.

“What  benefit will the government gain as the retirees continue to suffer unnecessarily while others were dying due to the denial  of their hard-earned money,” he said during a fund-raiser at Koibeyon Africa Gospel Church in Bomet.

Mr Nyamu reiterated that Knut’s rival, Kenya Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), had no mandate to sit on the negotiations table for teacher pay rise with Teachers Service Remuneration Committee.

He said their presence contravened the International Labour Organisation laws.

Knut chairman Wilson Sossion echoed Mr Nyamu’s sentiments on the notice and the representation of Kuppet in pay increase talks.

He also urged politicians to conduct peaceful campaigns devoid of hate speech to avoid creating unnecessary panic and tension among Kenyans.

Knut assistant national treasurer Richard Kibagendi announced that they would take a leading role in preaching peace ahead of the elections.