Teachers in Kenya are a happy lot, following a ruling by the Court of Appeal that will see them receive a 50-60% increase in their salaries.
The court gave the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) an ultimatum of August 1, 2015, to implement the pay rise directed by the Industrial and Labour Relations Court.
The Employment and Labor Relations Court had earlier ordered the government to give teachers a basic salary increment of 50 – 60% from July 1st, 2013 to June 30th, 2017.
TSC then moved to the court, protesting the ruling, saying that it could not afford the cost of the increment which totalled to an additional Ksh 70 billion.
In the suit, TSC argued that it had not been involved in the negotiations leading to the salary increment decision.
The teachers’ employer further argued that the court had acted outside of its jurisdiction in giving the order, since TSC has a committee mandated to deal with teachers’ remunerations.
The appeal was heard by a three judge bench led by Justice Mohamed Warsame.
The judges, however, ordered that the body pays the teachers the new basic salary, before the hearing of the appeal by TSC- scheduled for September 22nd 2015.
The court further ruled that failure by TSC to pay the teachers the amount by the given deadline will lead to the dismissal of the hearing of the appeal.
Reacting to the news, office of KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion updated status on Facebook as such- “TEACHERS victory at court of Appeal. Pay teachers by 1st August 2015.. GOOD NEWS FOR ALL KENYAN TRS—Today the Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that the 50%to60% Salary increment must be paid to the trs in August 2015.”
