TSC’s 1.5% Salary Deduction Sparks Outcry Among Visually Impaired Teachers

TSC’s 1.5% Salary Deduction Sparks Outcry Among Visually Impaired Teachers

Representatives of the Kenya Visually Impaired Teachers’ Association (KEVIT) have raised strong objections to the automatic deduction of 1.5 percent of their salaries as agency fees to the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET).

The teachers asserted that they had never registered as members of KUSNET and that the union does not represent their interests.

During a Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare meeting, chaired by Senator Julius Murgor, KEVIT chairperson Mbugua Kamau recounted how he was involuntarily transferred from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) to KUSNET in February 2022.

Kamau criticized the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) for using the T-Pay online platform, which he claimed lacked an option for teachers to exit KUSNET.

TSC’s Response to Allegations

TSC CEO Nancy Macharia, present at the meeting, refuted Kamau’s claims. She emphasized that the T-Pay system provides teachers with full control over their union-related deductions, allowing them to approve or halt any deductions as needed.

Macharia clarified that teachers could easily log into the T-Pay system and stop deductions if they desired to exit a union.

Follow Teachers Updates Page On Facebook

Senator George Mbugua, Vice-Chairperson of the Labour Committee, questioned Macharia on how KUSNET, with just 52 registered members, could be collecting agency fees from 2,433 teachers.

In response, Macharia explained that TSC deducts union dues from registered KUSNET members and agency fees from teachers benefiting from the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiated by KUSNET, in line with an order from the Minister of Labour and the Labour Relations Act.

KEVIT’s Challenge to KUSNET’s Legitimacy

KEVIT’s Geoffrey Wachira challenged the legitimacy of KUSNET’s claim that it had negotiated benefits under the CBA.

He argued that certain allowances, such as the Disability Guide Allowance, existed before KUSNET’s involvement, questioning how the union could claim to have negotiated for something already in place.

Senator Crystal Asige further questioned TSC, seeking documentary evidence that teachers had consented to salary deductions in favor of KUSNET.

ALSO READ: Teaching Job Openings: Home Science, Biology/Chem, PE, Music

Senator Murgor concluded the session by emphasizing the importance of respecting employees’ freedom to choose their union representation.

He urged TSC to ensure that teachers are better informed about union and agency fees, highlighting that the session was held in response to a statement request by Senator Asige, who sought clarification on the registration of teachers with disabilities into KUSNET without their consent.

TSC’s 1.5% Salary Deduction Sparks Outcry Among Visually Impaired Teachers

Follow Teachers Updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. Get in touch with our editors at [email protected].