Financial crisis rocks teachers’ unions

Teachers’ unions are grappling with a cash crisis because the government has not remitted their dues amounting to about Sh160 million.

They accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of paralysing their activities, which include paying staff salaries and continuing with their outreach activities.

The TSC joins a list of government ministries, universities, parastatal and county governments that have not met their statutory obligations to unions and agencies such as the National Social Security Fund, the National Hospital Insurance Fund, Kenya Revenue Authority, and the co-operative societies.

READ: TSC begins deducting union dues

The Union of Kenya Civil Servants, Universities Staff Academic Union, Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education on Thursday demanded that the monies be paid immediately.

CRIMINAL OFFENCE
Uasu secretary-general Constantine Wasonga told the Senate Education Committee that there is a cold war between trade unions and the State.

“The State wants to kill trade unions,” Dr Wasonga told the committee.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed expressed her disappointment with universities over their failure to remit their deductions regularly.

“We will keenly look at this issue since it’s a criminal offence,” Ms Mohamed told the National Assembly’s Education Committee on Thursday.

Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori said the union is facing a cash crunch.

“We are unable to pay for statutory deductions for our secretariat staff and we fear that we may be penalised by these agencies,” he said.

CIVIL SERVANTS
Knut deputy secretary-general Hesborne Otieno said they have not received any money although they have contacted the TSC, which could not be reached for a comment on Thursday.

Before last year’s membership validation, Knut used to collect about Sh1.6 billion a year, translating to Sh135 million monthly, while Kuppet used to collect Sh35 million a month, adding up to Sh425 million a year.

There are about 312,000 teachers across the country and those who are not members of any union normally pay agency fees.

READ: Non-unionised teachers to pay agency fee

Union of Kenya Civil Servants acting secretary-general Jerry ole Kina said most government departments are yet to submit their deductions, putting civil servants at the risk of being penalised for the delay.

“What we have come to learn is that workers are being paid net salaries. Deductions are indicated as deducted but not remitted to the agencies in order to buy time for the government to put its house in order,” he said.

SACCOS
On Thursday, it emerged that some of the worst-hit cooperative societies are Shirika Sacco, whose members are drawn from the Co-operative ministry; Ukulima Sacco, which serves agriculture ministry employees and Afya Sacco, owned by Health ministry staff.

County governments were singled out as the greatest defaulters in payment to saccos.

Public Service Commission director of Communications Brown Kutswa said he could not comment on the issue because every ministry has its own payroll.

“PSC does not deal with payrolls and therefore we may not tell which department is not meeting its obligations as provided for in the law,” he said.

NSSF public relations manager Christopher Khisa said they could only tell which government agencies have not remitted their deductions from today since Thursday was the deadline.