Hope for Teachers’ Salary Increment As Unions and TSC kick off talks
Initial discussions for a review of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to allow for pay increases have taken place between unions and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) met separately with the TSC last week in Nakuru County to begin talks, according to the nation.
The sides have just offered offers to get the negotiations going, according to a senior official who was present at the meeting.
Knut is advocating for a pay raise of 60%, whereas Kuppet is asking for a pay increase of 42%.
The CBA that was reached in 2021 between the two unions and TSC lacked a financial element because the nation was still recuperating from the Covid-19 pandemic’s effects on the world economy.
Teachers are experiencing hard economic circumstances, according to Knut Secretary-General Collins Oyuu and Kuppet National Deputy Treasurer Ronald Tonui, as their employer has not raised their pay in seven years.
At the Bomet Knut branch annual general meeting (AGM), held at the Fair Hills Hotel, Mr. Oyuu, who was accompanied by representatives from 32 branches nationwide, declared, “We sat as the Knut National Steering Council and agreed to push for a 60 percent salary increase for teachers.”
The 2021–25 CBA, according to Mr. Oyuu, is subject to review by both sides and is not set in stone.
In order to evaluate the 2021–2025 CBA, which was non-monetary, “we have started discussions with the TSC, and we are confident that we will reach an agreement that is workable for all parties,” Mr. Oyuu added.
He asserted that Knut would not support strikes to demand pay raises as in the past under his leadership.
“Teachers need to be treated with respect, and the employer and stakeholders need to address their concerns. When teachers’ concerns can be resolved discreetly and amicably by the employer and the unions, we as a union cannot ask them to demonstrate in public, Oyuu added.
The three percent housing charge that was included in the Finance Bill 2023 was also called for to be suspended by the unions.
Mr. Oyuu and Mr. Tonui argued that the policy should be quickly revised since it was poorly thought out to impose a housing fee on teachers and other low-paid workers without increasing their compensation.
Before the 3% housing charge on salaries is approved and put into effect, according to Mr. Tonui and Kuppet Bomet branch secretary Paul Kimetto, the CBA should be renegotiated to provide room for an increase.
According to Mr. Tonui, “there needs to be a round-table discussion to address the issue of teachers’ salaries as they are currently a very demoralized group who are also burdened by a huge workload due to the shortage [of teachers] against a sharp increase in enrolment in both primary and secondary schools.”
In spite of the challenging economic climate, he continued, teachers had not seen their incomes rise, in contrast to other categories of employees who had both in the public and private sectors seen annual compensation increases from their employers.
We support the current administration, but it is our responsibility to call out when a proposed policy is unpopular with the populace and workers so that it can be changed, according to Tonui.
The unionists said that teachers were burdened by the 7.5% reduction from their pay required by the Public Service Superannuation Scheme and that the implementation of the housing fund tax would further reduce their pay.
We are asking the government and President William Ruto to take this into consideration, Mr. Tonui said, “so that teachers who are doing a noble service of shaping the manpower to take charge of the socio-economic development of this great country can feel appreciated.”
The unionists expressed optimism that they would reach a deal with the TSC in the upcoming days.
The administration of President Ruto is advocating for a three percent salary deduction for all employees to support the planned Sh3.6 billion National Housing Development Fund.
Despite the fact that Francis Atwoli, the secretary-general of the Central Organization of Trade Unions, has come out in favour of the planned fee, it has stirred up a storm among employees.
The TSC has been given Sh322 billion in the budget policy statement for 2023–2024. A portion of the funds will be used to solve the teacher shortage in public schools.
Hope for Teachers’ Salary Increment As Unions and TSC kick off talks
