KUPPET wants 70 percent teacher salary increase, rejects SRC’s proposal.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) is advocating for a 70% pay increase.
Kuppet seeks to increase teachers’ (C2) remuneration from the current Sh34,955 to Sh74,279.
Those who earn Sh131,380 per month will now receive Sh204,952 per month, a 30% increase.
This is one of the demands the union will make tomorrow during a meeting with the employer to address compensation.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has invited Kuppet and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) to the Kenya School of Government for a salary review meeting.
Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori stated that the union will deny the Salary and Remuneration Commission’s (SRC) proposed salary increase of seven to ten percent.
He stated that their attention would be directed towards the point at which their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) discussions came to a halt.
Misori mentioned that they would refrain from considering new suggestions, as they had already initiated negotiations concerning salaries.
“We shall focus on where our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) talks stalled. We shall not slide to new proposals because we had already started talks on the salaries,” said Misori.
According to the proposals of the SRC, the lowest-paid teacher, who currently earns Sh34,955, will receive a maximum of Sh46,752. Those earning Sh131,380 per month will receive a maximum of Sh168,691 per month.
TSC’s letter requesting the meeting states that the unions and employer will evaluate the CBA for 2021–2025.
Misori stated that fundamental salary increases, promotions, medical benefits, and a pension plan will be their top priorities.
He stated that 30–70 percent of Kuppet’s demand is a result of the high cost of living, which has decreased teachers’ disposable income.
Housing tax, superannuation pension scheme, and NSSF
Misori stated that the inflation rate has increased over time and that teachers cannot afford fundamental necessities.
Misori stated that the introduction of recent statutory deductions, including the housing tax, superannuation pension scheme, and NSSF, had led to a decrease in net income. This reduction in net income, he explained, had subsequently impacted the productivity of teachers.
“The recently introduced statutory deductions, namely the housing tax, superannuation pension scheme, and NSSF, have contributed to a decrease in teachers’ net income, thereby affecting their productivity,” said Misori.
KUPPET wants 70 percent teacher salary increase, rejects SRC’s proposal.