Teachers demand meeting with employer over pay

TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia and Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion exchange copies of the collective bargaining agreement they signed on June 21, 2016 at the Mombasa beach hotel. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Secretary-General Wilson Sossion said anxiety among teachers was high and the union was under pressure to conclude and agree on an acceptable implementation schedule for the CBA.
  • On Sunday, TSC head of communications Kamotho Kihumba assured teachers that salary increase will be implemented starting July but did not disclose when the meetings will take place.

Teachers have demanded a meeting with their employer over a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed last year.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion said anxiety among teachers was high and the union is under pressure to conclude and agree on an acceptable implementation schedule for the CBA.

“We hereby write to remind you that the two weeks' timeline agreed upon while in Naivasha expires on Friday, May 19,” said Mr Sossion in a letter dated May 15 to Teachers Service Commission (TSC) chief executive officer Nancy Macharia.

“Please urgently schedule a meeting before Friday as was agreed in Naivasha so that our members can understand their individual benefits from the CBA come July 1,” he added.

On Sunday, TSC head of communications Kamotho Kihumba assured teachers that salary increases will be implemented starting in July but did not disclose when the meetings will take place.

“TSC will in due course issue a detailed circular on how individual teachers in different grades and administrative positions will benefit,” said Mr Kihumba.

The Sh54 billion deal is supposed to benefit 305,000 teachers.

The CBA was signed in October last year and later registered with the Employment and Labour Relations Court on November 30 in readiness for implementation.

The CBAs will be implemented between July 1 and June 30, 2021.