Teachers Unions Accept TSC offer to hasten August Pay
Sure, here’s the content paraphrased with proper paragraphing:
Teachers unions, namely KNUT, KUPPET, and KUSNET, have resumed talks with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in Nakuru. These discussions were originally scheduled for last week but did not occur. The Commission had already fulfilled its financial obligations to teachers in terms of loans and insurance premiums. It aimed to finalize an agreement with the unions on Tuesday to facilitate the release of August salaries, along with adjustments.
However, the negotiations to review the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the period 2021 to 2025 did not succeed. TSC presented a salary proposal lower than what the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had suggested and what the teachers’ unions had requested. This has led to significant delays in teachers’ salaries, causing ripple effects in their lives.
Many teachers employed in remote schools are struggling to afford transportation to their workplaces and basic necessities due to the salary delays. Additionally, some teachers had intended to send their children back to school but are unable to do so because of financial constraints stemming from the delayed payments.
Reports indicate that the teachers unions will consider the Commission’s offer to expedite the payment of August salaries, which would include an increment and arrears for July. The payroll for August has already been processed, allowing for the payment of August salaries with retroactive increments from July.
TSC is eager to finalize the pay agreement following a directive from President William Ruto, who emphasized the need for prompt resolution in the talks to enable the implementation of new salary structures. President Ruto urged both TSC and union representatives to reach an agreement swiftly, as the government had allocated resources to enhance teachers’ compensation packages.
President Ruto’s remarks came a day after the teachers’ unions rejected the proposed increases of 2.4% for higher job groups and 9.5% for lower job groups, stating that the offer fell short of even the recommendations made by the President and SRC.
The President commended teachers for their dedication and suggested that those who prepared students for festivals should benefit from planned promotions. He emphasized the government’s commitment to incentivizing and promoting teachers based on their performance.
Ruto mentioned that the government had allocated funds for the direct promotion of 5,000 teachers and the indirect promotion of 36,000 teachers this year. He encouraged teachers to continue excelling and assured them that their efforts were recognized and valued.
Ruto also praised the music presentations as part of the broader government efforts in the creative space, arts, and education. He stated that the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) was now firmly in practice, resolving previous debates on the education system.
In a different context, Luanda MP Dick Maungu criticized the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for not promoting teachers despite being allocated 1.5 billion shillings in the 2022/2023 financial year. The MP, who serves on the Education Committee in the National Assembly, responded to reports from teachers who felt they had remained in the same job groups for years.
During a Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) event in Emuhaya, Maungu also expressed concern over teachers being in acting positions for extended periods without receiving promotions. He asserted that Parliament would create a new policy outlining the duration for which a teacher could act as a deputy in educational institutions.
Maungu announced that the Education Principal Secretary would appear before the Education Committee in September to explain the delay in disbursing capitation funds to schools, despite the Treasury having released the funds.
Teachers Unions Accept TSC offer to hasten August Pay
