Teachers’ August Salary To Be Held as TSC engage Unions
Teachers are facing a delay in receiving their August salaries as a result of ongoing negotiations between their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and their respective unions.
The release of teachers’ paychecks has been put on hold by the TSC, contingent on the outcome of discussions with the unions. This follows unsuccessful talks earlier in the week. Unusually, teachers’ payment details have not been uploaded to the TSC portal yet.
Should an agreement be reached and a contract be signed, teachers will see an increase in their payment, effective from July 1, 2023. Alternatively, if the unions opt not to sign, teachers will receive their previous earnings.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (Kusnet) have declined the TSC’s offer of a salary increase ranging from 2.4% to 9.5%, arguing that it falls short of the raise recommended by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). Negotiations between the unions and TSC took place at the Kenya School of Government.
According to the unions, the offer from TSC significantly lags behind the SRC’s suggestion of a seven to ten percent raise for civil servants, security personnel, and educators. Recent negotiations were held privately during the previous week.
Akello Misori and Collins Oyuu, the secretaries-general for Kuppet and Knut respectively, have emphasized the unions’ stance on securing a higher increase for lower-paid teachers and a comparatively lower raise for those in higher grades.
They noted that President William Ruto guaranteed them a raise of seven to ten percent during discussions about the Finance Bill 2023.
The unions clarify that their demands are distinct from the extended Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) review they have been advocating for. Kuppet is pushing for a wage adjustment ranging from 30% to 70%, whereas Knut is seeking a uniform 60% increase across all levels.
Due to economic challenges attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the unions’ previous CBA with the TSC, which was signed in 2021 and spans until 2025, did not include provisions for financial adjustments.
Teachers’ August Salary To Be Held as TSC engage Unions
