02/10/2015
Will teachers find themselves in an awkward position of being accused of disobeying court orders, an accusation KNUT HAS persistently pinned on the Government over failure to implement their contested 50-60 per cent salary increment. Nelson Abuodha of the Employment and Labour Relations Court declined to lift the orders suspending the strike for 90 days and for the second time ordered the teachers to resume duty immediately. In a brief ruling yesterday, Justice Abuodha said AND I QUOTE.. “teachers MUST obey the orders he issued last Friday and return to class before he can consider their application to have the directive to end the strike lifted. He said and I quote.. “It is after taking into consideration the nature of the dispute that I saw a ray of hope for the children and I therefore urge the unions to advise their members to assume duty. They would stand tall and be respected if they asked their members to resume duty while they, as elected officials, pursue their legitimate rights as [earlier] ordered. The strike is protected but remains suspended. There is no strike until after 90 days from now. Any person talking about a strike is defying the orders of this court. I chose to ride the path of the Constitution because in there, I saw a ray of hope for reconciliation,” The judge said should KNUT and KUPPET and the Government fail to reach a settlement in 90 days, they will be at liberty to take any lawful action against each other.
Yesterday, Abuodha stood his ground that teachers ought to have resumed duty as directed by the court a week ago if they wanted to continue enjoying the court’s protection.
“After listening to the arguments over the ongoing appeal proceedings as raised by both parties, I decline to suspend the orders until all parties comply. I therefore decline the request to suspend the orders as urged by the two unions until they direct their members to resume duty,” Justice Abuodha ruled.
He added: “It is after taking into consideration the nature of the dispute that I saw a ray of hope for the children and I therefore urge the unions to advise their members to assume duty.
www.campusmarketbiz.com