KNUT Reveals Details of Its 3-Day Meeting With TSC
The Kenya national union of teachers, KNUT, has given a detailed account of the meeting it held with TSC last week.
One of the demands tabled by KNUT during the meeting was that the Teachers Service Commission must review the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to effect a 60 per cent salary increase for the 300,000 teachers.
Should this demand be approved, the lowest paid teacher at Job Group B1 could get a salary increment of ksh.14,550, pushing their salary to Sh38,800 from ksh. 24,250 while the highest paid teachers, who fall under Job Group D5 will get a raise of about Sh89,016, pushing their salary to Sh237, 376 up from the present Sh148,360.
Knut also wants the government to cater for teachers’ refresher training courses to cushion them from the elevated cost of living.
According to KNUT, the Members of the national assembly must approve a ksh4.5billion to foot the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) if TSC wants teachers to be retrained.
Further, KNUT wants a review of promotion criteria to benefit tutors who have obtained higher qualifications.
“Our position as Knut was and continues to be that promotion policy be reviewed to accommodate, motivate and encourage teachers with higher academic qualifications so that their effort doesn’t go to waste,” said Knut secretary general Collins Oyuu.
Oyuu said that last year they signed the 2021–2025 non-monetary CBA after assuming office but with the high cost of living, the CBA must be reviewed to ensure the teachers get a salary increment.
Read also:
Final Interview Merit Lists For TSC Recruitment-July 2022
KNUT to Teachers: Remain Calm as We Engage TSC For Better Pay
Inside KNUT’s Fresh Push For 60% Salary Increment For Teachers
Oyuu Insists That Junior Secondary Schools Remain In Primary Schools as KUPPET Disagrees
Details of Last Week’s KNUT-TSC Meeting
“The inflation rate at the moment doesn’t allow that we hold several boardroom meetings with the employer, government agencies and even friends without mentioning the aspect of a monetary gain. Teachers want money and not stories,” said Oyuu.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta awarded all informal workers a 12 per cent salary increment on Labour Day, this shows the economy has improved. We are announcing that we have started a structured negotiation with TSC to see that a 60 per cent salary rise is awarded.”
Oyuu said that the salary demand is realistic compared to the proposal made under the previous regime led by Wilson Sossion.
Under Sossion, Knut had demanded a salary increment of between 120 to 200 per cent.
The rival Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) had also asked for a salary raise of between 30-70 per cent for the highest-paid workers and the lowest earners respectively.
Oyuu said that Knut and TSC agreed that the commission organises sensitisation workshops for all teachers so as to make them understand TPD and its implementation.
In refresher training courses, Oyuu said that the resistance that was witnessed after the TPD programme was rolled out was occasioned by the fact that proper sensitisation was not done.
