New TSC Teachers’ Pay Rise Rejected by KNUT, KUPPET
Yesterday, teachers’ unions rejected signing a salary agreement that would have given their members an increase of between Sh1,076 and Sh3,000.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) proposed a remuneration increase of between 9.5% and 2.4%, to be distributed over two fiscal years.
According to the TSC, teachers in the lowest classifications of B5, C1, C2, and C3 would receive an increase of between 9.5% and 7.2%. Those with a Job Grade of C4, D1, D2, D3, D4, or D5 were to receive 2.4%.
This implies that a teacher in Grade B5 who currently earns Sh21,756 will receive Sh23,830 per month, an increase of Sh2,074.
Those in C1 who currently receive Sh27,195 were to receive Sh29,787.
The pay offer was advantageous for low-income teachers, who were left out of the 2017–2021 salary agreement that benefited teachers in higher grades.
Teachers who currently belong to Job Group C2 and earn $34,955 would receive $38,287, a raise of Ksh. 3,332. Those earning Sh43,154 in C3 were to receive Sh45,670.
In the first year of implementation, C4 and C5 instructors wouldn’t receive an increase, according to the TSC proposal.
The majority of C4 instructors are primary school administrators. Those in grade C5 are teachers who, by 2017, had reached the ceiling of job group M/N and were subsequently promoted.
Yesterday, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary General Akello Misori criticized TSC, asserting that teachers at this level are not administrators and have stagnated for years.
In the proposed agreement, teachers in grades D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5 would only receive a 2.4% raise.
Upon full implementation, the minimum salary for those in D1 would rise to Sh79,410 from the current Sh77,840, an increase of Sh1,570.
The minimum salary for D2 would increase to Sh92,161 from Sh91,041, while teachers in D3 who presently earn a minimum of Sh104,644 would receive an increase to Sh105,720.
According to the agreement, teachers in sections D4 and D5 would not receive a salary increase in the first year either. D4 consists primarily of principals of county and extra-county schools, while D5 comprises principals of national schools.
The preponderance of Kuppet’s members are secondary school teachers, but the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) welcomed the agreement.
Although both unions did not sign the agreement and were asked to review the proposals and provide a response by Monday, Misori stated that members desired a 30 to 70% raise.
The Kenyan Treasury faces a revenue crunch following the pay raise for teachers.
Misori stated that TSC’s proposal, based on their calculations, is lower than what teachers anticipate and even falls outside of what the President announced.
According to him, President William Ruto and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission advised that the salaries of teachers and civil servants be increased by seven to ten percent.
Additionally, he denied the proposal to implement the increment in two years.
“Therefore, you can imagine how dishonest the TSC is and how they prolong our anxiety. We have given them until Monday to submit concrete proposals that we can discuss,” he said.
However, Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu stated that TSC’s proposals reflected their desire for instructors in the highest-paying grades to receive smaller raises.
“We cannot ignore that the 2017–2021 CBA was unfair to classroom teachers. The CBC benefited administrators, and we proposed a complete inversion so that the classroom instructor receives the 9.5% raise and the highest earner receives 7%,” Oyuu explained.
According to him, the increase is intended to warn teachers about the current economic climate.
“The proposal by TSC to increase salaries by between 2.4% and 9.5% is welcomed and satisfies the president’s mandate for a 7–10% increase across all job grades,” he said.
The union proposed a 60% increase for the lowest earners and a 50% increase for the highest earners.
The unions are scheduled to meet with TSC on Monday following a discussion of the proposals.
“These are negotiations, and we cannot place conditions on them.” Misori stated, “Since teachers have waited a long time without a pay increase, we can wait longer for teachers to receive what they justly deserve.”
Allowance for the cost of housing
It has also come to light that the TSC intends to modify the accommodation allowance.
Currently, the housing allowance is organized into four groups. The highest pay for teachers is in Nairobi, then in other significant cities and municipalities.
The third cluster consists of teachers in former municipalities, while cluster four consists of the lowest-paid instructors in rural areas.
Under the TSC proposal, cluster four will be folded into cluster three, which will benefit rural educators.
New TSC Teachers’ Pay Rise Rejected by KNUT, KUPPET
