Kenya National Teachers Pressure Group (KNTPG) lobby group is out to petition the government to allow teachers form a new union and do away with the existing unions including KNUT AND KUPPET.
The group wants teachers to exit the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) unconditionally and be allowed to form one universal union.
In an interview with Education News, the Group’s National Spokesperson Ms Martha Omollo held that the current teachers’ union does not speak and fight for the welfare of teachers.
She cited the recent deductions of National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the Housing Levy from teachers’ salaries.
Ms Omollo, who at one point was transferred from Nairobi in November 2021 under unclear circumstances when she went vocal in rejecting Teacher Professional Development (TPD) and teachers’ medical scheme cover under Minet, is now been transferred back to Nairobi from Mt. Elgon.
She revealed that they are planning to hold a peaceful demonstration in Nairobi to present their petition to parliament, Ministry of Education and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on August 16, 2023.
“Unions are not speaking for us; we want to be allowed to leave. When we go to the Registrar of Trade Unions, she says teachers are represented.
So we are asking her who is representing us and we are complaining? We want to get out of these unions and we want the Registrar to register a new union but she has been taking us in circles,” said Ms Omollo.
Ms Omollo stated further that the petition they have is basically to ask the government to allow teachers to leave the two unions and the registration of a new union.
She added that they just want to belong to one union that will collectively speak for the welfare of teachers, unlike currently where teachers belong to several unions like KNUT, KUPPET and Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET).
“Let’s just be a country that actually follows the law.
There is this programme that comes as a provident fund and as of 2021 every teacher bellow 45 years was paying 2.5 per cent, then 2022 rose to 5 per cent and this year 7.5 per cent.
For that reason teachers were excluded from contributing to NSSF,” explained Ms Omollo.
“Those who were on permanent and pension terms and were above 45 years it was optional, you either join or you remain with employer contribution of your pension.
Why should we have two pension schemes? What is it for? These unions not even speaking.
They should speak for or against it; they should let teachers see them at least expressing something. They are just quiet,” she added.
She noted that the deductions are coming when teachers’ salaries have never been increased since the lapse of the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) where classroom teachers only receive a salary increment for two years, 2017 to 2018.
By Education News reporter
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