Unions representing workers have decried the rising taxation and urged the government to urgently address the high cost of living, warning that increased fuel prices could push country to a crisis.

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions and the County Government Workers Union said the government’s continuous raid on employees payslips could push many people out of work.

The government has initiated various tax measures including the housing tax and an increase in VAT.

“The effect of the rise in taxation by the present government is not equivalent to what workers are earning,” County Government Workers Union national secretary general Roba Duba said during a press conference in Nairobi on Saturday.

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He was flanked by Cotu deputy secretary general Benson Okwaro.

On Thursday, the government announced new pump prices that saw the price of petrol jump to Sh211 per litre in most parts of Nairobi while diesel increased by Sh21 and will now retail at Sh201.

Okwaro said Cotu was opposed to the increase on pump prices and the other taxes being introduced by the government.

“The Federation of Kenyan Employees has already threatened to employ people on a casual basis to run their business since casuals do not pay tax,” Okwaro said.

He noted that the unions are opposed to the proposed increase in the value added tax (VAT) by the National Treasury from 16 to 18 per cent.

Duba said Kenyans can not handle the increase in VAT as some of the workers are not doing well in their businesses.

The former Moyale MP said it is unfortunate that majority of Kenyans walk to work due to unaffordable commuter cost.

Duba said the government has been raising the cost of living and fuel prices yet the Salaries and Renumeration Commission has not reviewed the salaries of the workers since 2013.

He said it is unfair for the people who are already suffering to be added more burden. “We can not afford to take our children to good schools if we can not afford basics like a meal,” Duba said.

He said workers need to be paid good salaries to live well, pay school fees   and afford descent housing.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions – Kenya (COTU-K) said yesterday it would seek legal interpretation of the mandate of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission. Secretary General Francis Atwoli said Kenya has a progressive Constitution which gives workers the right to collective bargaining. “COTU-K is taken aback by the move by SRC to proceed with the much-opposed Remuneration and Benefits of State and Other Public Officers Regulations 2022,” Atwoli said in a statement.

He accused SRC of collecting views from the public only for it to disregard their concerns and comments. “That is in character with many government institutions, whereby public participation is done as a constitutional formality rather than for purposes of collecting the views of the public and other contributors,” he added.

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He said SRC wanted to interfere with freely negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreements in contravention of Article 41 of the Constitution and Labour Relations Act Section V and ILO Conventions 87 on the right to organise and to collective bargaining. “If the Commission does not revert to its advisory role, as stipulated in the constitution, COTU-K, will be forced to move to court to seek a Constitutional interpretation of the mandate of the SRC,” Atwoli said.

International education Lobby groups have asked Uhuru to intervene in the labour disputes between KNUT and TSC.

Education international, all India primary teacher federation, New Zealand Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA), and South African democratic teachers union (SADTU) have separately written to Uhuru with a similar message; to stop TSC from frustrating and discriminating KNUT and its members.

“Since 2019, TSC has engaged in a systematic campaign against KNUT. It has discriminated against members of KNUT, excluded KNUT members from the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) since July 2019 and deprived the union of membership dues,” wrote new Zealand PPTA.

The letter, signed by Melange Webber, PPTA president, pleads with Kenyatta to ask TSC to restore the KNUT membership register.

“ The TSC should also restore the KNUT’S membership to that of June 2019, desist from discriminating against KNUT members concerning their  remuneration, promotion and working conditions, revert to implementing the 2017-2021 CBA AND Implement all the court orders and parliamentary decisions,” reads the letter.

SADTU has supported the concerns, adding that KNUT members have suffered discrimination on promotion and salary upgrades through some of the TSC changes which they allege have been made without due consultation and legislative approval.

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“we are also concerned that the TSC unilaterally suspended the five year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed in 2017 and has illegally introduced a digital validation of union membership, which has resulted in membership loss for KNUT,” Said Mugwena Mululeke, SADTU secretary general through a letter.

Education international Africa region, all India primary teacher federation, and London national education union also wrote to Kenyatta between March 19^th 2021 and March 23^rd 2021, with similar concerns.

Each of the letters were copied to KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion, labour and social protection cabinet secretary, Simin Chelagui, and COTU secretary general, Francis Atwoli.

Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli accuses the Teachers Service Commission of thwarting his efforts to end its questionable relationship with the Kenya National Union of Teachers.

The SG has revealed that TSC has declined to resolve the matter, adding that twice, he has sought an audience with the President over the issue. He was responding to Martha Karua’s  accussations in social media, that  Cotu has  failed to stand in solidarity with Knut.

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Karua and Atwoli weighed in on the matter days after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga attacked the TSC for attempts to kill the once-giant teachers’ union.

The raging labour dispute began in 2018 and has since seen the membership of the union shrink from a high of 187,000 to below 15,000. The standoff was occasioned by disagreements on teacher promotions, registration regulations and appraisal.

“As secretary general of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Kenya), I thought it wise to make clarification on the issue to avoid miscommunication and misrepresentation of facts,” Atwoli’s claims.

He said they have held at least six meetings with the Labour CS to discuss the standoff, but the TSC snubbed them.

Atwoli also noted that the standoff has seen Cotu push the Education committee in Parliament to open an enquiry into the matter but the directions offered were not implemented.

“We have so far held at least six meetings with the CS Labour to discuss the standoff but the TSC boycotted the meetings,” Atwoli explains.

He said that the matter has also caught the attention of international labour organisations—ILO and the Global International Trade Union Confederation.

“Twice, we have convened meetings for all general secretaries of Cotu(K) affiliate unions to discuss the issue above after which, in all meetings, the general secretaries came up with resolutions to be sent to the President for consideration,” he said.

Central Organization of Trade Unions, COTU, Secretary General, Mr.  Francis Atwoli, has revealed that he supports Education CS, Prof George Magoha, despite the latter being condemned for publicly insulting a ministry official.

During his interview on KTN News, the COTU boss faulted the Uasin Gishu CDE, Gitonga Mbaka, for not preparing Langas Primary School in an organized manner, ahead of Magoha’s visit.

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“The man appeared not to know anything…whether the CS was coming. During our days, if the CS was coming to your area, all schools would be cleaned a week prior to his visit because you do not know where the CS will end up,” argued Atwoli. “The CS is a direct representative of the President…and the President cannot support indiscipline in schools.”

Atwoli mocked the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for investigating the incident, terming it unworthy of any serious investigation.

“There must be discipline in our institutions and we must have disciplinarians. When the CS says this is indiscipline…the school is filthy. Some schools have no toilets, are not fenced…classes are not clean…yet that is where we take our children,” Atwoli stated.

Atwoli just joins KNUT in defending the education cabinet secretary. The two unions do not agree with KUPPET over the Langas incident.

KUPPET has demanded an apology from the CS over his disrespectful remarks. Uasin Gishu KUPPET Secretary General Elijah Maiyo questioned the rights of the CS to insult the senior education director.

“We are saddened that the CS, a professor, could insult his fellow civil servant. The conduct of the CS was not expected of him and he should apologize to all the teachers. He should have questioned why the school was in such a state rather than rush to insult an old man,” Maiyo said.

Maiyo threatened the CS that teachers would file a complaint to the human rights department and that they would also cease to accompany him on educational tours, if he fails to apologize to the teachers.

In the video clip, Magoha heaped abuses and chased away Mbaka, blaming him for the untidy state of Langas Primary School.