The teachers service commission, TSC, has confirmed that teachers will have to wait for four years to enjoy enhanced salaries as the employer seals any hopes for review.

In a circular released to guide implementation of the 2021-2025 CBA, TSC guidelines on new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) affirmed that tutors will continue to enjoy old salary rates. 

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Even the allowances will be laid based on old rates as has been the case under the just ended 2017-2021 CBA which pushed teachers’ pay higher.

However, TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia says teachers will enjoy enhanced leave days and flexible transfers that would help bring closer families that had been separated by distance.

“To achieve the family values enshrined in the constitution, the commission shall consider transfer requests for married couples to appropriate stations/locations subject to availability of vacancies, the need for suitable replacement, existing staffing norms and proof of marriage among other factors,” a circular by Macharia says.

The CBA was signed between the commission and three unions; Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) on July 13, 2021.

It will run up to June 30 2025. At the time CBA was signed, the unions said that they had agreed that TSC would revisit the salary component, in July.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has agreed to develop new job descriptions that will see classroom teachers benefit in the 2021-2025 new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The Commission and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) kicked off their new CBA negotiations last month where they held a five-day retreat in Naivasha.

During the meeting, the teacher’s employer agreed to ensure the new descriptions under the new CBA capture the true worth of classroom teachers.TSC has confirmed that as discussed during last month’s meeting, the true worth of a teacher must be captured and this can best be done through new job descriptions.

“The new job descriptions recognise the teachers’ leadership and technical work within and outside the classroom, which had been ignored by the evaluation tool previously used by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC),” read a press statement by Kuppet secretary general Akelo Misori.

That was the second meeting KUPPET held with the teacher’s employer over the new CBC which is scheduled to be implemented from July 1, after the October 19^TH meeting.

KUPPET called on the SRC to give its advisory to the TSC to enable the employer to table a counter offer to the union.

Job evaluation

In February, SRC wrote to the TSC requesting for more time to allow the union finalize job evaluation salary structures for public servants.

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“We are seriously concerned by this delay by SRC, since the expiry of the current CBA on 30 June is imminent,” said Misori.

Misori said during the retreat that they have agreed with the TSC that the new CBA will factor that classroom teachers have up to 30 new roles of including, class management and substantial financial responsibility during outdoor activities like tours and sports among others.

Teachers have been complaining that the current 2017-2021 CBA favored teachers in administrative position leaving thousands of classroom teachers with low salaries and this will translate to increased renumeration.

Teacher Promotions

During the meeting TSC and Kuppet agree on promotion of teachers in job groups C3, C4 and Teacher Training college tutors to new job groups.

“The Job Re-Evaluation has resulted in the creation of a new opening in C4 for Senior Master IV and Senior Lecturer IV for those in TTCs who do not have administrative positions,” said Misori.

Misori said under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), the TTC tutors will be training teachers at the Diploma level, hence the repositioning of their roles.

Administrators in TTCs including Deans and Registrars will have a clear career path with substantive appointments.

Maternity leave for interns

The commission has agreed that, except for specific provisions of their contracts, all intern teachers will work under the same conditions as provided under the Code of Regulations for Teachers.

The intern teachers qualify for maternity leave of 90 calendar days with effect from the expected date of delivery, as it happens other teachers.

TSC also agreed to suspend the requirement of a Master’s degree for Principals or other promotions within the teaching service.

“This is in line with regulations by the Public Service Commission which has scrapped the requirement of a Master’s degree for promotions at job group P and above. Post-graduate qualifications will be considered as an added advantage,” said Misori.

Allowance for Masters and PHD Holders

During the meeting, Kuppet demanded the introduction of a Post-Graduate Allowance for teachers who possess Master’s and PhD degrees irrespective of their position in service.The union and the commission clarified the career path for Diploma Teachers.

Teacher shortage

To address the shortage of teachers ahead of the roll out of junior secondary, TSC said it will promote 1,000 graduate teachers who initially had P1 qualifications to secondary schools every financial year.

By June 30, it shall have redeployed 2,000 of such teachers, and the redeployment will continue until the numbers are fully addressed.

The teachers must have obtained a KCSE mean grade of C+ and C+ in two teaching subjects.

AON Minet

TSC and Kuppet agreed to hold an interparty meeting with the teacher’s medical scheme provide Minet to address the challenges teachers are facing while using the scheme.

Both TSC and Kuppet identified the numerous problems teachers face in accessing health services under the Medical Scheme.

Reliable Sources have hinted that KUPPET has adjusted its CBA 2021-2025 salary proposal to between 45 to 60 per cent, after lobbying, from the initial 30 %-70%. These new details emerged after the KUPPET-TSC Naivasha retreat.

KUPPET had already pitched a salary increment of between 30 and 70 per cent for the new CBA. This meant that the lowest paid teachers would get the higher percentage with highest paid teachers getting the lower percentage.

The KUPPET’s initial proposal would see the lowest-paid teachers’ salaries rise from Sh21,756 to Sh36,985 while those in higher cadres under Job Group D4 who currently earn Sh118,242 would take home Sh153,714. The new adjustments, if implemented, will enhace an even better package to the lowest earning teachers.

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KUPPET was reacting to the SRC job evaluatuin report, which recognised the huge work loads teachers have and the additional responsibilities that will come in the wake of the CBC curriculum.

TSC sent its proposed salary offer of between 16 to 32 per cent to the SRC on September 29, last year.

In the letter to SRC, TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia, recommended that teachers below Grade CA to D5 get a 16 per cent salary increment while teachers in Grade B5 to C3 would get a 32 per cent raise.

“This is therefore to submit to your office the TSC recommendations for your advisory on the remuneration of teachers for the next CBA as required by the Constitution and the law to enable us commence and conclude the 2021-2025 CBA with recognized teacher unions on time,” Dr Macharia said.

Negotiations between SRC and teachers unions, KNUT and KUPPET might not begin soon.This emerged after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, SRC,  sought more time for before engaging the  teacher unions. What this means is that KNUT and KUPPET will wait longer before negotiations with SRC.

Teachers should however not be anxious as there is a likelyhood that the negotiations, which are yet to begin, will end by mid-June and first phase implementation will begin by July.

SRC CEO Anne Gitau, through a writing requested  TSC for more time and pledged to give further directions.

Gitau said that among the items in the 2021-2025 CBA for teachers is basic salary, which shall be informed by among other factors, the resultant job evaluation pay structures.

In her statement as written in the letter, the parameters for the new CBA talks shall be issued once the ongoing job evaluation is concluded.

“SRC is currently undertaking job evaluation exercise to inform its Third Remuneration Review cycle in the Public Service,” reads the letter in part.

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Gitau however revealed that SRC is reviewing the teacher’s employer request for advice on the new CBA proposals it presented before inviting unions for negotiations as dictated in the law.

Both KNUT and KUPPET presented their 2021-2025 CBA proposals in 2020 but negotiations about their proposals have  not begun. This is despite the fact that the current 2017-2021 CBA will expire on June 30 and a new deal, which is yet to be negotiated should be implemented from July 1.

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“We are looking forward to commencing meaningful, valuable and productive negotiations for the next CBA within an acceptable timeframe that shall ensure teachers benefit with new salaries from CBA so that they can deliver quality teaching to all our public schools,” said Sossion in the letter.

His change of tune came after the TSC has asked Knut to stop propaganda on the pending CBA.

In a letter, TSC told Sossion that the commission was concluding internal consultations with SRC as per the law to pave the way for negotiations.

“In the meantime, we ask you to be patient and avoid making unfounded allegations on the matter,” read the letter.

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