A lobby group by the name, Kenya National Teachers Pressure Group, KNTPG has strongly emerges to advocate for the collapse of all Kenyan teachers Unions, KUPPET, KNUT and KUSNET following what they term as ‘Union’s failure’ to address teacher’s problem.
In a statement they said, “after our meeting the following were observations made and documented for action.”
1) We are not fighting unions we are doing what we pay them to do but they are not doing. KNTPG is made up of teachers across all sectors of our profession is Primary, Secondary and Tertiary institutions.
2) T-pay which is a very very sensitive part of TSC ICT department has been infiltrated by administrators that are not known. These administrators have initiated deductions on payslips without written express instructions of the teachers. Deductions made without teacher’s approval are:
(i) KEWOTA affecting lady teachers.
(ii) BBF National affecting secondary school teachers.
(iii) Union agency fees with no monetary gain negotiated.
3)AoN is seriously breaching terms of its contract ie.
(i) Teachers and their dependants are forced to undergo many extra tests before approvals for either therapy, surgery, scanning or other important tests even after doctors have recommended. As a result many lives have been lost as Soon/Minet take between 7 and 30 days approving. Emergency cases are worse as time is of essence.
(ii) Failure to issue teachers with balance remaining in their cover after every visit.
(iii) Failure to accredit most of high level hospitals eg MTRH. AoN subcontracted many private hospitals and clinic which are very far for some tcrs and that does not even meet the levels of several of our public hospitals. We hold that this is a deliberate avenue to channel teacher’s remaining balances fraudulently to private pockets. There are cases of tcrs receiving hospital visit codes from AON a day after their visits and told the previous code did not go thro yet services were rendered.
4) Agency fee was approved by the ministry of labour. We hold that this was done to appease our unions to keep quiet as TSC roles out its TPD program that a court had declared illegal due to lack of public participation by teachers. A very telling clause in the CBA states that *teachers who are members of the unions shall undergo TPD at their own expense.*
We challenge our unions to show any resolution passed in whatever AGM that had teachers agreeing to this issue. *There is none.*
We hold that there is no justified reason to deduct agency fee for teachers.
5) KUPPET members complained that their constitution was altered without NDC approving it. For example a clause was inserted that no member shall take the union to court for any reason whatsoever. This is clearly against the constitution of Kenya which states that a person may institute court action against any injustice done to him. Clearly a union constitution cannot overule the constitution of the land.
*Resolutions*
1) Our complaints shall be written to the TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia.
2) The DCI, EACC, PAC and public ombudsman shall be notified of our complaints specifically in the issue of T-PAY. Who is this playing with it by availing exit button for teachers to exit this illegal deductions then at the end of the month they are still deducted. These are serious economic crimes punishable under the law.
3) A lawsuit shall be filed to interpret how agency fee is deducted. Natural justice demands that agency fee is deducted if there is a monetary gain fir the CBA signed.
4) TPD case file be opened as no public participation by tsc was done before the unions withdrew it from the court. Remember courts had rule against it.
5) Parliament has received our petition against TPD and will be tabled early November.
6) The side the unions will chose during this court proceedings will determine the KNTPG action. If unions will side with the tcrs in rejecting TPD then we’ll and good. If Unions will side with the oppressor then 5 unions that have applied for registration shall merge and give tcrs an alternative voice. The registrar of trade unions too has a suit waiting for her as her office is independent.
*PLEA*
To aid this course teachers of like minded ideology are requested to contribute to Kenya National Teachers Pressure Group to enable us start the court cases immediately as December holidays are approaching and teachers are required to enrol for the TPD.
Consequently a business number has been secured where teachers can channel their help. We have already secured three high reputable law firms of international stature to fight our cause. These are law firms that cannot be interfered with as they deal with international Human rights issues.
Any teacher facing intimidation as a result of TPD is requested to immediately contact KNTPG before making any submission to the intimidating authority. This is a war we are on our own.
*The till number is 9196741. It reads Martha Omolo.*
Also Read
