We have paid teachers' unions dues, says TSC

NAIROBI: The teachers' employer says it has remitted union dues for the last three months based on a membership validation exercise.

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) said it paid dues for December, January and February, contrary to the unions' claim that they have not been paid for the past six months.

"Dues for subsequent months will be remitted as they fall due based on the validation and authentication of membership to unions," said TSC Head of Communication Kihumba Kamotho.

But Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) admitted receiving "little monies" from TSC.

"They only remitted money for 7,000 members. They did not remit dues for our 190,000 members," said Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion.

Sossion said the commission has not issued an official report on membership validation and noted that the process was illegal.

"Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i summoned us to his office and told us that the validation exercise was stopped. We were shocked to see the process done and little money sent. The fact is unions are suffering," said Sossion.

Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori yesterday said TSC only remitted money for 10,000 members.

"They deducted dues for all our 42,000 members but only remitted dues for 10,000. We do not know what basis they used to decide 32,000 are not our members," said Misori.

On full membership, Knut used to receive about Sh131 million every month from TSC against Kuppet's Sh34 million.

But Kamotho clarified that monies shall be sent to unions as the validation process continues.

"What we sent in December was based on the authenticated figures as at that time. And so as the process continues, so is the money being sent. The figures will definitely vary depending on the pace of authentication," he said.

Union officials accused the employer of reducing their members after the "illegal" validation exercise.

"We shall paralyse schools countrywide to defend Knut," said Sossion.

TSC however said it is its responsibility to manage the payroll of all teachers and to specifically protect its employees' earnings.