TSC to withhold pay for striking teachers

TSC officials address the media regarding the ongoing teachers' strike in Nairobi on September 9, 2015. PHOTO | EUNICE KILONZO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Teachers Service Commission chairman Lydia Nzomo on Monday said it would no longer be possible to pay teachers who were not working.
  • She said the TSC’s 47 county directors had submitted details of teachers who have been on duty since the school term began.

Striking teachers will not be paid for the days they have not worked and those who will not resume duty by Friday will be struck off the payroll.

Teachers Service Commission chairman Lydia Nzomo on Monday said it would no longer be possible to pay teachers who were not working.

“TSC will close payroll by September 18 and those who wish to report back to work may do so but will only be paid for the days worked.

"Those who will not have heeded the call by September 18 will be removed from the payroll,” she said, while addressing a news conference at TSC offices in Nairobi.

She said the TSC’s 47 county directors had submitted details of teachers who have been on duty since the school term began.

The TSC boss said the directors had reported that at least 22 per cent of primary and 54 per cent of secondary schools were operational and the commission had begun the process of preparing the teachers’ payroll.

“The process of preparing the September payroll has begun and details of the teachers who have been performing duties have been captured, these teachers will receive their salaries in full.

'DESERTED DUTY'

"It will no longer be possible for any teacher to miss work and earn a salary, therefore any teacher who has not been on duty for 14 days is deemed to have deserted duty,” said Dr Nzomo.

On September 4, a court declared that the strike, which officially began on September 1, was “unprotected" and any boycotting teacher was liable to disciplinary action.

Headteachers, their deputies and heads of departments in the schools are likely to get their salaries as most do not take part in the strike as they are not unionisable.

However, last week, more than 5,000 of them received show-cause letters from their employer to explain why they were not on duty to submit information such as daily attendance records of learners and teachers” during the strike that is on its third week.

The principals, deputy principals, registrars, deans, heads of departments for post-primary and headteachers, deputy headteachers and senior teachers for primary schools were given 14 days to respond to letters to explain what the employer called “insubordination, absenteeism, and negligence of duties.”

The code of regulations for teachers stipulates that “in the event of a strike, the administrative staff of the school shall undertake such duties to ensure the safety and security of school property and safeguard the welfare of learners”.

However, reacting to the move by the TSC, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Secretary-General Akelo Misori asked the tutors to ignore the directive as the threats by the TSC were “empty, hollow and mischievous”.

ONLY CHANCE

“We are advising the teachers to ignore TSC because succumbing to such threats means that the teachers are letting go the pay award that was given by court, this is the only chance teachers have to ensure they are paid, ” said Mr Misori.

Mr Misori added that “the mood for teachers now is that they will only go back to class when they are paid”.

Kenya National Union of Teachers chairman Mudzo Nzili said no amount of intimidation would make the teachers to go back to class.

He called Dr Nzomo’s move as “just a threat”.