TSC in race to meet teachers’ pay demand
What you need to know:
- The commission has written to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the National Treasury and the President’s Chief of Staff, Mr Joseph Kinyua, detailing the financial demands the teachers have made and seeking to know how they can be addressed.
- Mr Lengoiboni said the commission was studying all the other demands made by the teachers and would respond appropriately during the next round of negotiations on September 30.
- The teacher’s employer said the outcome of the negotiations would form the basis for the Collective Bargaining Agreement expected to commence in July 2015.
The Teachers Service Commission is making efforts to meet the salary demands by teachers and avert a possible strike ahead of the national examinations season which begins next month.
The commission has written to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the National Treasury and the President’s Chief of Staff, Mr Joseph Kinyua, detailing the financial demands the teachers have made and seeking to know how they can be addressed.
“The commission on Friday wrote to SRC and copied the letter to Treasury Cabinet Secretary (Henry Rotich) and Secretary to the Cabinet (Joseph) Kinyua,” said a source privy to the communication.
Sunday, TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni said the commission was consulting with SRC to resolve the issue.
In a statement to newsrooms, Mr Lengoiboni said: “The commission is consulting with the relevant government agencies, including the SRC, which is constitutionally mandated to determine and set the remuneration of all public officers, including teachers.”
He said the government’s position with regard to the demands, especially those that have financial implications, would be communicated later.
AGREED TO TALKS
Last week, the TSC, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) agreed to hold the next round of talks at the end of this month.
Mr Lengoiboni said the commission was studying all the other demands made by the teachers and would respond appropriately during the next round of negotiations on September 30.
He said the talks were centred around more than 40 demands, the main ones being an increase in basic salary by between 180 to 200 per cent, increase in house allowance by up to 50 per cent of basic salary and payment of leave allowance.
The teacher’s employer said the outcome of the negotiations would form the basis for the Collective Bargaining Agreement expected to commence in July 2015.
“The Commission would like to assure teachers, learners, parents and key stakeholders that the Government has continued to devote enormous resources, even under severe budgetary constraints, to improve the terms and conditions of service for teachers in recognition of the important role they play,” Mr Lengoiboni said.
He appealed to the unions, teachers, parents and all stakeholders to exercise “patience and understanding” as the commission engages with the unions and the relevant government agencies for an amicable solution.
KCSE examinations are scheduled to officially start next month while Standard Eight candidates will sit KCPE in November.
