Support staff at SNE school down tools over unpaid dues

By Erick Nyayiera(Education News Kenya — https://educationnews.co.ke/news/support-staff-at-sne-school-down-tools-over-unpaid-dues)

The support staff members of Mary’s School for the Deaf in Nyangoma, Bondo Sub-county have downed their tools over unpaid salary arrears dating back to March 2021 totaling to Sh3.4 million.

The angry employees, who held demonstrations that paralyzed learning at the institution said that they will not go back to work until their 14 month salary arrears, running into millions, are fully settled.

The support staff who include cooks, security personnel, grounds men and matrons say the institution owes them a total of Sh3.4 million and the school management has been taking them in circles over the unpaid salaries.

Led by George Orawo, the over 20 employees said they are unable to meet their financial obligations because of the unpaid salaries and their families have suffered as they cannot provide food or pay fees for their own children.

They appealed to the ministry of education to intervene on the mater accusing the school administration of prioritizing other projects at the school over their salaries whenever the government sends capitation and funding each term.

The school head teacher, Mr. Joseph Omonyin, confirmed that there are salary arrears owed to the support staff saying that he is only nine months old at the institution and that he inherited the arrears from his predecessors.

Omonyin said that they rely on funding from the government and fees paid by parents to pay the workers but the money has not yet been received from the government this term and fee payment by parents has remained below their expectation.

“The parents in this school have fee arrears of over Sh2 million and the ministry of education has not yet sent any money to the school this term. This makes it difficult for us to run the institution, let alone pay the workers.” Omonyin said.

He on the other hand disagreed with workers on the 14 months arrears owed disclosing that the school Board of Management (BoM) had passed that the workers would not be paid salaries for the months that the schools were closed across the country due to Covid-19.

“I know there are arrears but the 14 months’ salary arrears are untrue. According to the BoM, they will not be paid for months that they were not in school due to the pandemic,”Omonyin said.

He however called on patience among the workers and appealed to them to return to work as the board looks into the matter to have their salaries paid.