TSC had indicated a possible salary increment for teachers in July 2021 even as the commission gets into it’s final CBA consultation with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
In a letter dated 8th of February 2021 directed to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Secretary-General Wilson Sossion also urged the union to stop propaganda as it tries to conclude talks with SRC.
“The Commission is in the process of concluding internal consultations with SRC as per the law to pave way for the negotiations. In the meantime, we ask you to be patient and avoid unfounded allegations on the matter,’ TSC said.
The new CBA is to take effect from July 2021 with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) proposing a minimum of 16 per cent increment in teacher’s basic salary.
Teachers in lower grades have a reason to smile as they are not neglected like in the former CBA. Tutors in Grades C4 to DS will profit from a 16 per cent pay rise in their basic salaries in the new CBA.
SRC promised to address the stagnation of teachers at job group L (C3) for nearly 20 years with diploma holders being the most affected.
“Disparities in pay for workers with similar qualifications, skills, and incomparable occupations, contradict the principles of equal pay for work of equal value,” stated SRC.
Teachers in Grade 85 to Grade C3 will get a salary increment of 32 per cent pay in the proposed CBA. A possible increment of up to 20 per cent leave allowances, commuter and house allowances could also be seen.
This possibly means that Senior and Chief Principals will earn between Ksh.131,380 and Ksh.157, 656. Deputy principals in job Group D1 to D3 will get a salary between Kshs 77,840 and Ksh.125, 573.
But the teachers unions KUPPET and KNUT had rejected the CBA recommendations by the teachers’ employer. In 2020, the union submitted a new CBA to TSC which KNUT demanded a pay rise of between 120 – 200 per cent as KUPPET sought a 30 to 70 per cent pay rise.
Here Is A Letter Written By TSC To KNUT Regarding The 2021-2025 CBA Negotiations.
The Secretary-General
Kenya National Union of Teachers
PO Box 30407-00100
NAIROBI.
NEGOTIATIONS ON THE 2021-2025 CBA
We acknowledge receipt of your letter ref: KNUT/TSC/60/1 /2020 dated 27/01/2021 contents of which we have duly noted.
It is the Commission’s position that the issues set out in your letter under reference and many other similar letters were conclusively addressed vide our letter ref: CS/TSC/68NOL XI dated 2/5/2019. (Copy attached herein for ease of reference).
In our said letter, we reiterated both the national and international framework for public sector CBA negotiations specifically the constitutional requirement to obtain an advisory opinion from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and to exhaust internal consultation with relevant Government agencies prior to commencement of negotiations.
The above position is in tandem with the decision of the Court of Appeal in Civil Appeal No. 196 of 2015: Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Kenya Union of Teachers (KNUT) & 3 others [2151].
The Commission is in the process of concluding internal consultations with SRC as per the law to pave way for the negotiations. In the meantime, we ask you to be patient and avoid unfounded allegations on the matter.
CAVIN ANYUOR
FOR SECRETARY/CHIEF EXECUTIVE
TEACHERS SERVICE COMMISSION
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has replied to the commission telling it to speed the CBA negotiations for teachers to enjoy the pay rise in July this year.
KNUT SG Sossion has addressed TSC through a letter requesting meaningful discussions on the CBA that affect its members.
“We are looking forward to commencing meaningful, valuable and productive negotiations for the next CBA as per this letter within an acceptable timeframe that shall ensure teachers benefit with new salaries from the C8A so that they can deliver quality teaching to all our children in all our public schools,” Sossion said in a letter.
KNUT Reply On CBA Negotiations
NEGOTIATIONS ON THE 2021-2023 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TEACHERS SERVICE COMMISSION (T_C) AND KENYA NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHERS (KNUT)
We are in receipt of your Ref. No. TSC/LS/CF/KNUT/45A/VOL.9/55 dated 8th February 2021 (copy attached) acknowledging our Ref. No. KNUT/TSC/60/1/2020 dated 27/01 /2021.
Note that we had already registered a Trade Dispute with the Cabinet Secretary – Ministry of Labour with respect to the above matter when you failed to reply on time.
By the dint of the last paragraph of your letter which I quote “The Commission is in the process of concluding internal consultations with SRC as per the law to pave way for the negotiations” end of quote, we hereby retract our letter Ref. No. KNUT/LAB/S2/1/2021 dated 10th January 2021 to the Cabinet Secretary – Ministry of Labour promptly and URGE that you give strict and clear timelines of undertaking the salary negotiations as per Section 13 of the TSC Act, Section 54-60 of the Labour Relations Act and the ILO Standards to ensure timely
implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement on 1st of July, 2021.
Therefore, the ball is in your court to draw the negotiations programme and update us appropriately.
As per our earlier correspondence, a job Evaluation for all the classroom teachers who were not properly compensated in the previous CBA is a strong precondition to any progress in the negotiations.
The salary analysis of our demands and proposals and your proposals currently being undertaken at the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) should be expedited to avoid raising anxiety amongst our members.
We are looking forward to commencing meaningful, valuable and productive negotiations for the next C8A as per this letter within an acceptable timeframe that shall ensure teachers benefit with new salaries from the C8A. so that they can deliver quality teaching to all our children in all our public schools.
We are looking forward to commencing meaningful, valuable and productive negotiations for the next CBA as per this letter within an acceptable timeframe that shall ensure teachers benefit with new salaries from the C8A. so that they can deliver quality teaching to all our children in all our public schools.
In conclusion, I paraphrase the words of Gordon Brown the former Special Envoy of the Secretary-General United Nations and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom while addressing Trade unions in new York in 2014 and 1 quote “TO ACHIEVE EQUITABLE QUALITY EDUCATION TO ALL CHILDREN IN THE WORLD, GOVERNMENTS MUST PROPERLY TRAIN,
PROPERLY RECRUIT, ADEQUATELY PAY AND ADEQUATELY SUPPORT TEACHERS IN ALL NATIONS OF THE WORLD end of quote.
This is what TSC must do in the mission of achieving the SDG Agenda and Vision 2030 through a quality CBA.
Teachers shall be central in achieving the two goals within the country and therefore the CBA is the foundation of raising and maintaining quality teachers in this country.
Yours faithfully,
Wilson Sossion.