Kenya National teachers union Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion and chairman Mudzo Nzili Milimani commercial court in Nairobi.
BY SAM ALFAN.
Teachers Service Commission should not hire an intended 70,000 new teachers to supplement learning in public schools countrywide, a court has said.
This is after an umbrella body supervising trade unions in Kenya sued TSC over its decision to hire relief teachers in the wake of an ongoing strike that has paralyzed learning in public schools for four weeks.
Trade Unions Congress of Kenya TUCK, contests that the teachers employer has disregarded directions by the industrial court to engage in negotiations that will see students resume learning.
Through its lawyer Mr Wilfred Nyamu, TUCK says that instead of negotiating, the employer has now advertised for recruitment of 70,000 relief teachers on a three month contractual basis. TSC placed the advertisement in the local dailies on Thursday October 1 and equally placed a deadline slated October 5 2015.
“Respondent (TSC) stated that the teachers to be recruited are meant to alleviate the effects of the current teacher shortage in the country,” Tuck says.
The umbrella body claimed that the advertisement is inclined for the first time to engage teachers on temporary basis contrary to existing policy and practice.
They said that the teachers employer has not addressed the demands of teachers or engaged with the unions neither have they taken steps towards compliance with the court order.
“It is for this reason that the teachers have remained away from school.”
“Conservatory orders be granted to applicant restraining the respondent from carrying out the recruitment of relief teachers as advertised on October 1 2015,” the court ruled.
