Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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January 20, 2009

Kenya Teacher Strike Enters Second Day
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=21BBD08:A6F02AD83191E1601BCD2FA088544D1670AD7039DCD7B7E4&
 
Primary schools across country remained shut down Tuesday, as Kenya
National Union of Teachers, or KNUT, resisted calls by government for
teachers to return to work 
In Kenya, a nationwide teachers strike is in its second day. A teachers
union says 230,000 teachers are striking as part of a dispute over a pay
increase. Children at Olympic Primary School take advantage of not
having a teacher in their class, Monday, 19 Jan. 2009, after the school
closed along with most others, due to a dispute about teacher's pay
Primary schools across the country remained shut down on Tuesday, as the
Kenya National Union of Teachers, or KNUT, resisted calls by the
government for teachers to return to work. At least a dozen teachers
were arrested on Monday. Confrontations with the police were reported in
a number of towns and cities, including Mombasa, the country's main
port, where tear gas was used to disperse demonstrating teachers. KNUT
chairman George Wesonga said he was extremely pleased with the success
of the strike so far."The strike is very successful. Yesterday it was 90
percent. We are hoping that by today the rest who had not joined will
join," !
 Wesonga said. "We are very happy with the outcome. Like in Nairobi, you
can't get any schools going on at all at all."Education Minister Sam
Ongeri appealed for teachers to end the strike, warning that they risked
losing pay or being fired. The teachers and the government had earlier
agreed on a pay increase of about 35 percent, which would give primary
school teachers a monthly salary of between $150 and $1,000 depending on
experience. But the teachers' union objects to the government's plan to
phase in the salary increase in three annual installments, saying that
inflation would eliminate much of the hike. The union also wants the
increase to start this month, rather than in July. 


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