The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) is threatening to take legal action against the teachers’ employer for intentionally stifling it by deregistering its members.
According to latest statistics from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Knut membership has dipped to 34,312 from 187,471 between July 2019 and October 2020. The union, which used to receive at least Sh144 million in union dues monthly, received a meagre Sh25 million in October.
Secretary General Wilson Sossion yesterday said the union is unable to run its operations and has been forced to close down some branch offices due to inability to pay rent.
Mr Sossion said the union is unable to hold branch elections and may not hold the annual delegates conference in December as is the tradition because they cannot afford it.
“The annual budget for the ADC is approximately Sh200 million, which the union saves over time,” said Mr Sossion told the Sunday Nation.
“What can we do with Sh 25 million? It cannot even meet our payroll budget,” said Mr Sossion.
Mr Sossion said the union will be headed for the courts to fight for the existence of the union, as court orders issued to the TSC have not been obeyed.
In July, August and December last year, TSC did not release Knut’s union dues. But in September and October last year, the union received Sh83 million each, and Sh81 million in November.
This year, the funds remitted to the once-giant union have been decreasing every month.
In January, the union received Sh75 million, in February Sh67 million, in March Sh66 million, in April Sh64 million, in May Sh62 million and in June Sh59 million.
In July, the union received Sh54 million, in August Sh34 million and in September Sh32 million.
With the current trend, the union may end up losing all its membership.
Mr Dan Aloo, a member of National Executive Council representing the Coast region, said Knut staff are demoralised.
“Branches are unable to pay rent, electricity, water and meet other operational costs. We now need President Uhuru Kenyatta’s help to mediate the union and the TSC,” said Mr Aloo.
Makueni Knut branch executive secretary Benson Ndambuki said staff have been going without salaries due to the cold war between the union and the employer.
“Some of our staff had taken loans, but now, due the TSC’s failure to remit union dues, some are being auctioned,” said Mr Ndambuki.
Mr Sossion said the digital platform introduced by the TSC for teachers to join or leave a union is illegal and is being used to force Knut members out of the union with a promise of promotions.
“Stifling of the union is geared at ensuring that operations are crippled. Right now the union is united and we are not going to relent,” said Mr Sossion.
“No employer can fight a union and win. Sso far, of all the cases taken to court by the employer, Knut won.”
The battle between TSC and Knut has raged on over the past two years after they disagreed on the implementation of career development guidelines, promotion of teachers, rolling out of the new competency based curriculum, teachers delocalisation and the implementation of the 2016- 2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The wars resulted in several court cases, the withholding of Knut dues by TSC, deregistration of Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion as a teacher and the recent move by the teachers’ employer to cut links with Knut.
Mr Sossion said the TSC should use the Code of Regulations, the TSC Act and the CBA when managing teachers.
“Knut has a membership and a leadership all over Kenya. We are united and loyal to the union but shocked at the actions by the employer to bring down the union,” he said
The TSC and Knut wars have seen of Knut membership drop as from the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), the Kenya Women Teachers Association (Kewota) and the newly formed Kenya Union of Special Education teachers (Kusnet) continue to have increased membership.
