Teachers Issue 14-day Strike Notice to TSC Over Salary Increase
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been granted 14 days to schedule negotiations after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) issued a demand for a compensation review for its members on Sunday, July 9.
Collins Oyuu, the secretary-general of KNUT, claims that teachers are having serious financial problems as a result of the growing cost of living. He claimed that current salaries do not adequately compensate teachers for the amount of work they do.
The SG consequently pushed for a pay increase for all teachers as well as a reassessment of supplementary perks including housing allowances and health insurance.
“We were prohibited from discussing any financial terms in 2021 by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). We have written to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to invite us to the table so that we may examine our existing wages, however since the SRC has lifted the restriction on bargaining.
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According to the SG, KNUT members are affected by the state of the economy right now, especially by the 8% inflation rate that is growing.
Teachers Issue 14-day Strike Notice to TSC Over Salary Increase
The non-monetary Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that we signed in 2021 has to be reviewed. We must never lose sight of how dire the economic situation is in this nation, he insisted.
He added that in order to help teachers manage rising living expenses, compensation should be buffered based on a non-monetary CBA that reflects genuine financial demands.
At a time when the administration was having financial issues, a wage rise was requested. Oyuu, however, said that because teachers are the foundation of the educational system, the government should concentrate on their welfare.
On July 25, the TSC’s 14-day window for starting negotiations runs out. If TSC does not respond by then, KNUT has threatened to take additional measures, including strike action.
TSC had not yet responded to KNUT’s demands. However, the commission stated on Thursday, July 6, that it was committed to making sure that instructors are fairly compensated.
The latest in a series of teacher protests in Kenya is the demand for a pay rise. In recent years, teachers have protested and gone on strike over a range of issues, including compensation, working conditions, and a lack of career growth opportunities.
At the time of the protests, the administration responded by pledging to address teachers’ concerns. The administration, however, has asserted that it cannot afford to accede to all of the demands of the unions.
