Teachers’ union, employer to begin pay talks next month

The teachers’ employer and their union held a meeting on Friday to lay the groundwork for talks on salaries next month.

The meeting between the Teachers Service Commission and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) took place at the commission’s headquaters in Upperhill, Nairobi.

It was attended by chairman Omboko Milemba and other top officials and the commission’s chairperson Lydia Nzomo, chief executive officer Nancy Macharia and other commissioners.

The negotiation team had 10 members, five from each side. Mr Milemba said the union was committed to the talks.

“We agreed that the talks start on October 4 in which the commission will table its offer. We want to conclude these talks before the end of next month.”

The meeting is a follow up of a training that was jointly conducted by the commission and Federation of Kenyan Employers for Kuppet in Kisumu two weeks ago.

“The meeting lasted for two and a half hours and was conclusive. We hope to reach a deal soon,” said Mr Milemba.

The team is expected to begin talks on October 4 while Knut was expected to meet the commission today for similar talks.

Teachers have on the table a 300 per cent increase in their basic salary for a new agreement that will run from July next year to 2021.

The union gave the commission a one-month notice to start talks on the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Elsewhere, Kenya National Union of Teachers national treasurer John Matiang’i claimed teachers signed what he termed as “an empty agreement” with the employer in June.

“We signed an agreement to go back to work. This agreement did not however include any salary increment, pending the signing of a comprehensive agreement by July 1. Since that time, we have never been called to discuss the terms of that agreement,” he said.

The official said the commission had not yet constituted a committee on terms and conditions despite the expiry of the previous one last year.

Mr Matiang’i urged the commission to act fast and constitute the committee to oversee the process.

He added that President Kenyatta asked the commission to speedily implement the agreement, saying that teachers had been patient enough.

His call was echoed by deputy Knut secretary Hesbon Otieno who said that the performance of public schools was likely to be adversely affected.

Kisii South Knut executive secretary Geoffrey Mogire asked the government to speedily resolve teachers’ concerns saying the next fiscal year’s budget should include their salary increment.

He said teachers were not ready to engage in frequent strikes but wished to see an amicable solution to the remuneration issue.

“We are not willing to get into another round of confrontations with the government over salaries but if the commission maintains its loud silence over our salary increment, we will be left with no option but to take to the streets,” said Mr Mogire.

The officials were speaking during a fund-raiser to buy a bus for Manga Knut branch in Kemera, Nyamira County.