Teachers Accuse TSC of forcing them into an ‘unwanted’ union.
A petition has been sent to the National assembly by teachers in special schools over unwarranted deductions of agency Fees to a union.
These teachers are accusing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of coercing them to join the union dubbed Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET).
The teachers sent this petition on April 15 to the National Assembly Education Committee chair Julius Melly saying they have dissociated themselves from the union citing listing into the union without prior consultation.
The teachers have stated that they are being deducted the money that is remitted to KUSNET as agency Fees.
These teachers have asked the committee to direct the Teachers Service Commission and KUSNET to refund them the money since they have never signed an agreement with the union.
Jurisdiction
The teachers have requested the commission to inquire whether the commission has the jurisdiction to choose the union for its employees.
“We filed a case over the issue after having been forced to subscribe to KUSNET by paying monthly union dues, which were later stopped. We layer realized that we are being deducted agency fee in favor of the same union,” the teachers lamented in the petition.
The teachers have argued that their employer should give them room to choose a Union of their choice.
The teachers mentioned that the commission is going against the constitution and labor laws by forcing them to join this union instead of allowing them to join a union of their choice terming it infringement of their rights.
The teachers are faulting the commission over continued deductions even after the court stopped them.
“KUSNET does not have grassroot representation or known regional offices. The union does not conduct annual general meetings, annual Delegates conferences and its elections are conducted in secrecy,” the petition read in part.
The Teachers’ petition has been copied to the Teachers Service Commission CEO, the Secretary General of KUSNET, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the clerks of the Senate and National Assembly.
Teachers Accuse TSC of forcing them into an ‘unwanted’ union
