Pay Rise Or Strike, Teachers’ Unions To Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Pay rise or strike. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is in crossroads to choose between two tough options given by the teachers unions during a meeting by the trio.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) have engaged in crucial negotiations with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over a new pay deal in the last few days.
Teachers’ Unions have given TSC tough options to choose from in their engagement with their employer. The commission has only two options to choose from, pay rise or strike.
The looming nationwide teachers strike could cripple the national examinations scheduled next month.
TSC, Kuppet and KNUT last year signed a cashless 2021-2025 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which gave no monetary benefits to members following the expiry of the previous one that was worth Sh 54 billion.
The to teachers’ unions have ignited demand for pay rise of at least 30% because the economy of the country has improved.
In a January 17, Kuppet sent a letter to TSC demanding for a pay rise of at least 30 per cent and threatened to call a strike if TSC did not respond within 21 days. TSC responded to the notice by KUPPET on 20th January.
“The commission is interrogating the issues raised therein, we will respond thereafter,” said the legal, labour and industrial relations director at TSC, Cavin Anyuor through a letter to Kuppet Secretary-General Akelo Misori.
Kuppet’s National Executive Committee met on Monday in Nairobi but details of what they discussed are yet to be made public. However, reliable sources have hinted that a nationwide strike was one of the solutions arrived at if TSC is not going look into the matter of pay rise for teachers.
A nationwide strike is going to largely affect the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCSE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCPE) programmed to begin on 7th March and 14th March respectively.
Teachers are involved in this two national examinations from preparation of practicals, supervision to the marking of the examinations.
KUPPET have also tabled fresh denands to the Commission in the negotiation for the pay rise for teachers.
In the CBA renegotiation, Kuppet is pushing for the introduction of new monetary benefits for teachers.
Kuppet wants the basic monthly salary of the lowest paid teacher to be raised from Sh34,955 to Sh59,425 and that of the highest paid increased from Sh118,242 to Sh153,715.
The union also wants an increase in the commuter allowance from Sh5,000 to Sh8,500 for the lower cadre teachers and Sh16,000 to Sh20,000 for the highest paid teachers.
Further in the proposal, Kuppet want new risk allowance to be introduced for science teachers. According to the proposal the lowest paid science teacher will receive Ksh 5465 while the highest paid teacher will receive Ksh 30,587 risk allowance.
The latest budgetary allocation TSC tabled in Parliament only catered for some critical areas such as promotions of teachers and biometric teacher registration leaving out pay rise for teachers.
What will be the choice for TSC? Pay Rise or strike for teachers? Share your comments in the box below.
