Blow to Teachers as Pay Rise Negotiations Delay

Former nominated Member of parliament Wilson Sossion.
Former Nominated Member of Parliament, Wilson Sossion
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Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has asked for more time from teachers to commence negotiations for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

SRC Chief Executive Officer Anne Gitau, said the involved parties will only hold negotiation talks after the  completion of the ongoing job evaluation exercise.

“SRC is currently undertaking job evaluation exercise to inform its Third Remuneration Review cycle in the Public Service,” she said in her latest letter dated February 15.

Anne Gitau
Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Chief Executive Officer, Anne Gitau.
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According to Ms Gitau, the basic salaries that are to be negotiated in the new CBAs will be informed after the job evaluation pay structures among other factors.

The current 2017-2021 CBA proposal will expire on June 30, 2021, and the new proposal that is yet to be negotiated should be implemented from July 1, 2021.

The new CBA proposal that is yet to be negotiated was presented last year by both Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (KUPPET).

Gitau wrote to Teachers Service Commission (TSC) asking for more time, and promised to give further directions on the matter.

This comes days after KNUT withdrew a threat to call for a nationwide strike to compel the authorities to push for  negotiations.

On Tuesday, February 23, KNUT Secretary-General Wilson Sossion wrote to the Teachers Service Commission stating that the new CBA proposal handed over to the SRC should be negotiated soon to avoid anxiety among teachers.

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

On its part, TSC in a letter dated February 8, responded to KNUT for the first time in two years saying that it 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,” said TSC lawyer Calvin Anyuor in the letter he has signed on behalf of TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia.

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Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia addresses the media in January 2020 in Nairobi
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