According to the latest Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA), teachers are set to miss out on a pay rise for the next two financial years.
Kenya National of Teachers (Knut) Secretary-General Collins Oyuu on Sunday, July 11, stated the union was willing to seal an agreement with the Teachers Service Commission on a two-year CBA that captures all other aspects of terms and later sign a different CBA on financial gains.
“Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has suspended the review of salaries and teachers are not exceptional, but must agree with the TSC that teachers’ salaries will be reviewed immediately after the lapse of the suspension period depending on the country’s economic performance,” Oyuu told the Standard.
Oyuu is pushing teachers to agree to the CBA on the condition that the suspension of salary increment will only last for two years.
“We are looking at a CBA that does not break families. Let us not only concentrate on the financial gains because the CBA has so many aspects,” Oyuu has pleaded with the teachers.
The union previously maintained that they expect nothing short of salary increment to cushion teachers from increased workload from the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and teachers’ shortage.
The new CBA seeks to recognize teachers’ leadership and technical roles in the realization of the CBC within and outside the classroom which had been ignored by SRC in the salaries evaluation.
The unions are pushing for the country to adopt the four-year agreement that gives value to teachers' true worth, which is in line with the country’s latest transition that subjects them to intense work under the CBC system.
If the CBA is implemented in accordance with Oyuu’s directive, it means teachers will not receive any salary or allowance review up to the financial year 2023.
His sentiments have been backed by the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Nairobi branch executive secretary Moses Mbora how has urged the national office to do the same.
This contradicts an earlier stand which was taken by KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori, that teachers will not accept a CBA that does not capture salary increment.
Now, teachers await the final decision which shall be reached in a meeting organized by TSC set for Tuesday, July 13.
