Teachers to wait longer for hefty salary increase
From left: Teachers Service Commission chairperson Lydia Nzomo, Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi and Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary-general Wilson Sossion before a Parliamentary committee on July 2, 2015. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE |
What you need to know:
- No instant riches yet for tutors.
- Employer has said it will appeal decision by court that increases its wage bill by Sh52bn annually.
The fate of a recent salary increase for more than 288,060 teachers now lies with the Court of Appeal.
This is after their employer, the Teachers Service Commission, said it would appeal against last month’s award by Justice Nduma Nderi of the Labour Court.
Chief Executive Nancy Macharia has indicated that the commission was willing to honour the pay agreement on housing, hardship and leave allowances at a cost of Sh9.3 billion.
In a July 7 letter to Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Wilson Sossion, Ms Macharia said: “Please note that the commission has lodged an appeal at the Court of Appeal.”
She added that the commission was unable to conclude a Collective Bargaining Agreement on basic salary.
“The teachers want to make a crystal clear stand that any gymnastics on the part of the government intended or designed to delay the implementation of the judgment shall be met with industrial action by the teachers,” Mr Sossion has warned in a letter.
JOB EVALUATION
The commission, however, insists that any increase will only be possible once a job evaluation for civil servants is completed at year’s end.
“The immediate requirement to pay arrears accruing from July 1, 2013 to date will cost Sh51 billion. These funds are not available because they have not been budgeted for in this financial year,” said commission chairperson Lydia Nzomo.
She said teachers are public officers and their remuneration is determined by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
The government will have to find an additional Sh52 billion a year to fund the increases, bringing the total cost of salaries to Sh118 billion a year or 5.6 per cent of the national budget.
If implemented, a teacher in P1 job group G, the lowest paid category, will now take home Sh26,707, up from Sh16,692. The highest paid teacher, a chief principal in job group R, will earn Sh163,634, up from 109,089.
In his judgment, Justice Nderi also directed that the allowances be adopted as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
