The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) is calling upon the government to promptly reimburse them of the housing levy deductions from their payslips.
Akelo Misori, the Union Secretary General, emphasized the need for the government to take immediate steps to safeguard teachers’ earnings, which include their retirement benefits under the management of the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS)
The union is also accusing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of blatantly violating a court order and insisted that they will make every effort to protect the member’s salaries and benefits
“As a union, KUPPET will take all measures to protect members’ hard-earned salaries and benefits. Our options include instituting contempt proceedings against TSC officials in their personal capacities” Akelo said in a press conference, in Nairobi.
According to him the court rulings coincided with the opportune moment for the commission to implement necessary adjustments to the payroll, however, the actions taken by TSC showcase its readiness to disregard the law.
“Such action fits in a disturbing pattern where public authorities obey court orders at their own convenience. KUPPET is horrified by the TSC’s flagrant violation of court orders over the Housing Levy Fund,” he stated.
This is despite there being clear and unambiguous orders by the High Court and the Court of Appeal declaring the housing tax illegal and unconstitutional.
The union never supported the Finance Bill, on the contrary they have been waiting on the government to fulfil a salary raise of 7-10 per cent to mitigate the already worsened economic situation faced by all workers.
“If TSC dares to say that it happened when they had already prepared the payroll, we have seen in this country teachers paid in the following month when there were errors on other smaller issues, now a big issue where Court of Appeal has given an order calls for a recall of the payroll that has gone to the bank,” Akelo added.
