Anxious moments as teachers, employer discuss salary plan

More than 290,000 teachers across the country will this week be waiting anxiously for talks between their employer and union leaders on the implementation plan for a salary increment, more than a week after the first proposal was rejected.

In what is described as a do-or-die affair, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is expected to present a proposal that will be acceptable with less than four weeks left before the next financial year.

Teachers have been pushing to have the deal implemented in one phase or at least two but TSC wants it implemented in four years.

PAYMENT PLAN
Already Kenya National Union of Teachers' (Knut) top decision making organ, the National Executive Council (NEC), has directed the leadership of the union not to accept the implementation schedule to take four years.

In its special meeting last Wednesday, Knut was directed to ensure that, if not implemented in one phase, it’s done in two phases.

Knut secretary-general Wilson Sossion said the union was focused on getting the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) implementation schedule before the end of this week as was agreed in Naivasha.

“We are pursuing the CBA as demanded in Naivasha and shall deal with the employer as we have always done in demanding the rights of our members,” he said.

ELECTIONS TIME
Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers chairman Omboko Milemba wants the matter resolved as soon as possible.

“We want this issue sorted out as soon as possible so that we can delink politics from it. The meeting will determine whether we are moving forward or not but it’s our desire that the issues are solved amicably,” Mr Milemba said.

The Jubilee administration, keen to have teachers’ votes, has been working round the clock to have the deal implemented without any hitches.

During the Naivasha meeting on May 5, TSC presented the new progression or grading system and promised to provide real figures plus other details in the full draft.

TAXPAYERS
Allowances are as per the older scheme except special allowances, which Knut is still pursuing.

If implemented in four phases it will require Sh13.7 billion annually, while the State will have to chalk up Sh54 billion to clear the pay in one phase.

The CBA has created a distinct career progression for all teachers and aims to ensure that both the teachers in administrative and non-administrative positions have clear career paths.