The government of Kenya is currently in a dichotomy between implementing the teachers’ July 2021 salary increment as per the CBA 2021-2024, and holding a BBI referendum.

According to the sources closer to government,  increasing salaries for teachers and other public officers will put the government on her knees, owing to the fact that the government already has greater yokes on her neck, like the increasing debt burden and a sky rocketed economy.

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Reliable sources have also revealed that there will be massive job cuts from the year 2021, since it is only through job cuts that the international monetary fund, IMF, will award Kenya a new loan.

With plans to hold a BBI referendum in the year 2021, the government is under deep pressure. Among the voters, teachers fall among the majority vote swing groups, which need to be appeased by the government to avoid disappointments in the referendum campaigns.

In his tenure as the president of the republic of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta has strategically increased teachers salaries towards voting seasons. This was witnessed in the year 2017, when the popular 2017-2020 collective bargaining agreement between teachers and TSC was signed. Being that referendum also involves voting and teachers’ numbers have even increased, the president thinks of ensuring a new CBA is signed. However, with proximity to the debt ceiling and the rising cost of living, the president is torn between driving the referendum agenda and increasing teachers’ salaries.

SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich has confirmed that the salary review process for the 2021-2024 CBA cycle should end by Tuesday 22^nd December 2020.

“TSC and civil servants salary review will take place at the same time in June 2021 when the Job evaluation exercise will be over. The salary reviews were launched in September and is ongoing. Kenyans have up to 22^nd December 2020 to give their views,” said Mengich.

In their memorandum on remuneration guidelines for public servants, SRC has confirmed that remuneration and benefits for civil servants are due in June 2021.

This review will coincide with the teachers’ CBA and employment contracts renewal with TSC, who have already presented a counter proposal offer to the SRC for approval. next

Starting January 2021, civil servants will suffer a pay cut for onward remittance in the newly created Public Service Super annuation Scheme. The move will be taken by the State to reducing the pension burden shouldered by the Exchequer.

The 7.5 % pension contribution will be implemented in three phases, beginning January 2021, where 2 % of the basic salary will be deducted till December 2021 . Beginning January 2022, the pension scheme will rise to 5 % of basic salaries.

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Under the current pension scheme, civil servants, unlike workers in the private sector, do not contribute to their pension and their benefits are paid from taxes. Some highlights of the scheme include;

• This scheme will be rolled out from January 2021. The scheme will affect all civil servants including; teachers, police officers and prison officers.
• The scheme will affect employees who will be aged 45 years and below as at 1^st January 2021. Though the employees above 45 years who wish the scheme will be free to apply for inclusion in the new scheme or remain in the old one. The current Public Service Pension arrangement will be closed to all new employees.
• All those employed by the government will be required to contribute 7.5% of their basic pay towards the fund and the government to subside with a contribution of 15% towards the same.
• TSC has taken care to protect teachers against the negative effect this may have on the pay slips.
• The scheme will be implemented in a period of three years: In the first year, teachers will contribute 2% of their basic salary and the government will contribute 15%. During the first year of implementation, the male teachers will be cushioned by stopping WCPS deductions. In the second year, the teacher will contribute 5%, and the government 15%.Finally in the third year, the teacher will be deducted 7.5% but the government will give 15%. This will then be effected till the teacher retires.
• The contribution will be deducted from the salary before tax is calculated. This will reduce the tax level and improve the pay of an employee, alongside helping the employee to evade double taxation of pension contributions and payouts.

The teachers’ basic pay after second phase of pension deductions are tabulated below. The pay however maybe higher in case SRC approves TSC CBA counter proposal.

With the 2017-2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) having been implemented fully by the Teachers service commission, TSC, plans are underway to launch the 2021-2024 CBA. Up to now, there has not been a proper agreement between the TSC and the teachers’ unions, KNUT and KUPPET concerning the 2021-2024 CBA.

On basic salary, KNUT proposed an increment of between 120 % and 200 %. The rival KUPPET advocated for an increment of between 30 % and 70 % on the basic salary.

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The teachers’ service commission, TSC, proposed an increment of between 16 % and 32 % on the basic salary. The TSC CBA proposal was bilaterally opposed by both unions, KNUT and KUPPET. The two unions claimed that they were negotiating for perks slightly better than what the TSC proposed.

The teachers’ service commission however sneaked their proposal to the Salaries and remuneration commission, SRC, without reaching a consensus with KNUT and KUPPET.

If the SRC approves the TSC proposal document, then all teachers will have their basic salaries increased by between 16 %- 32 %. Teachers in lower job groups will be favoured compared to those in higher job groups in 2021-2024 TSC CBA proposals.

A summary of the additional salaries teachers will earn if the proposal is approved is in the table below. Even though teachers in higher job groups will get a lower percentage increase, their overall increase may still be higher than those in lower job groups since their current basic salaries are far much higher.

Teachers in job group D5 for instance will have a salary increase of between ksh. 21,020- Ksh. 25-224 while the highest earning teacher in the lowest job group, B5, will take home an additional ksh. 8,702.

Members of job group C3 however may earn higher increments than their counterparts in job groups C4, C5 and D1 since the percentage increments will favour C3 and the difference in the current basic salaries between C3 and the three will not neutralize the net increment.

The teachers’ service commission, TSC , proposes an increment of between 16 percent to 32 percent on the teachers’ basic salaries. In this proposal, ordinary classroom teachers, especially in lower job group cadres (B5-C3), are the biggest beneficiaries since the 2017-2021 CBA was a raw deal to them. School administrators and those in higher job groups (C4-D5) are only entitled to an increment of between 16 percent to 22 percent. This is after TSC realized that they erroneously benefited from the just ended previous CBA, yet most of them do not belong to the unions. Their counter parts in job groups B5-C3 are entitled to an increment of between 22% and 32 % of their basic salaries.

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TSC further proposes an increment of 10 % and 20 % on house allowance and commuter allowance respectively. According to the proposal that was whole heartedly welcomed by SRC and majority of classroom teachers, the annual leave allowance is set to increase by 20%. Hardship allowance however stagnates at the current rates.

The salary increment proposals, which have been strongly opposed by the teachers’ unions KNUT and KUPPET, are already with the SRC, awaiting approval.

If the SRC approves this CBA proposal, then teachers should prepare to smile all the way to the bank beginning July 2021, in a phased implementation that will run up to 2024.

The table below gives the new basic salaries for teachers, based on the CBA proposal that was presented by TSC to the SRC. The allowances have not been captured in the scales but are yet to be included.TSC proposal for allowances is 10% on house allowance and 20% on commuter allowance.See calculated increments per job group.

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