The teachers’ service commission, TSC, has just concluded the implementation of the 2017-2020 collective bargaining agreement, CBA. Plans are underway to commence the four year phased implementation of a new CBA from July 2021.

The new CBA will favour classroom teachers when it comes to basic salaries, unlike the previous one, which favoured administrators.

TSC had earlier on presented a counter 2021-2024 CBA proposal to the Salaries And Remuneration Commission, SRC, for approval. This move by TSC came after a possible agreement with the unions, KNUT and KUPPET, was in vain.

In the TSC 2021-2024 CBA counter proposal offer, the basic salaries will be increased by between 16 % and 32 %.  TSC earlier proposed an increment of 10 % on the house allowance but changed  it to 20% in the counter proposal offer presented to SRC so that it matches leave and commuter allowances.

According to the TSC counter proposal, leave allowance should be increased by 20%. If SRC approves the counter proposal, then 20 % leave allowance increment will be disbursed in four phases, beginning January 2022. Leave allowance is only paid once a year, mostly in the month of January. The increment in each phase will be 5%.

Read also:

TSC Plans To Establish a Post Training Institute For Registered Teachers and Heads

Quick Facts about the Mandatory Contributory Pension Scheme As WCPS Halts 

Teachers’ House allowance as per 2021-2023 TSC CBA Counter Proposal

Basic Salary Increments Per Job Group As Per The 2021-2024 TSC CBA Proposal

Salaries And Remuneration Commission Receives 2021-2024 CBA Proposal From TSC

Lydia Nzomo’s Golden achievements at TSC, As She Retires

TSC counter proposal offer, then teachers will earn leave allowances as per table below.

The Kenya national union of teachers, KNUT has not hesitated to reject the CBA proposal that the teachers service commission, TSC presented to the salaries and remuneration commission late last week. KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion, claims that they had not reached a consensus with the teachers’ employer. This comes a day after the rival KUPPET, rejected and distanced herself from the same proposal.

According to the proposal, classroom teachers ( Job groups B5-C3 ), were to be awarded a proposed maximum increment of 32%  on the basic salary spread over 4 years, beginning July 2021. Their counter parts in job groups C4 – D5 were to get a proposed maximum increment of 22% on their basic salaries. In addition to that, TSC proposed an increment of 10 % and 20 % respectively on house and commuter allowance, beginning July 2021. A good number of classroom teachers applauded the move by TSC, despite the fact that their unions are uncomfortable with it.

Read also: KUPPET Rejects TSC’s 2021-2025 CBA Proposal To SRC

During their meeting with TSC, which never ended in a mutual agreement, KNUT proposed an unrealistic salary increment of between 120%- 200% on the basic salary. This would mean that the lowest earning teacher would have the current basic salary tripled by 2024. In addition to the basic salary, KNUT also proposed a 50% increment on house allowance and commuter allowance.

KNUT accuses TSC of betrayal and evasion of talks pertaining to salaries, and going ahead to sneak an illegal offer document to the SRC. It wants teachers’ unions to be part of the discussion that would lead to settlement for a reasonable offer. There is a likely hood that the long time rivalry between TSC and KNUT has just been refreshed.

SRC Will not Order Us

‘We shall not take orders from the SRC since they were not part of the negotiation team,’ said KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion. This received a back up from honorable Cherargey, who claims that TSC has violated the major principles of negotiation and mediation.