Teachers Service Commission asks for more time on issue of 300 per cent salary increase

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on Wednesday asked for more time to study a 300 per cent salary increase demand by teachers.

After several hours of deliberations that started at 10am and ended at 4pm, the employer and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) agreed that the next meeting be held on October 18 when the commission will table its counteroffer.

Besides the comprehensive increase in basic pay, Knut has asked for an increase in allowances for its members.

The union is seeking a new collective bargaining agreement for the 2017-2021 period. The main demand is for an increase in basic pay, which its members did not get in the last deal negotiated earlier this year.

“We are asking teachers to be patient as we have reached a point of no return with the employer,” said the union’s secretary-general, Mr Wilson Sossion. “We get the offer as we engage.”

He said teachers are eagerly awaiting for an offer from TSC and said that the 300 per cent increase they are demanding is affordable.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education teachers (Kuppet) will meet the commission on Tuesday.

TO NEGOTIATE

Each union appointed a four-member team to negotiate with TSC after it emerged that the setting up of terms and condition of service committee will take a longer period. The two unions are hoping to reach a deal before the end of October.

The teachers are racing against time to have the demands factored in the next Budget by end of the year. Unless their pay deal is factored in the Budget to be presented in Parliament next June, the teachers are unlikely to be paid. The only other way is to have the money included in a supplementary budget. However, with 2017 being an election year, this might prove difficult.

Mr Sossion led the team that negotiated with TSC on Wednesday. Others in the team were Mr Mudzo Nzili (chairman), Mr John Matiang’i (Treasurer) and Mr Hesbone Otieno (Deputy Secretary-General). TSC was led by its Chief Executive Officer, Ms Nancy Macharia.

“The meeting was good though we did not get a counteroffer as we had expected. We agreed to the commission’s request for more time and we believe they will come with an offer,” Mr Sossion said.

AKELO MISORI

On Tuesday, the Kuppet team will be led by Secretary General Akelo Misori. Other members are Chairman Omboko Milemba, Vice Chairman Julius Korir, Treasurer Mwethi Njenga and Gender Secretary Catherine Wambilyanga.

Knut has demanded a basic salary increase of 300 per cent while Kuppet has asked for 200 per cent. If the unions get their way, the lowest paid teacher under Knut will earn Sh50,016 while the highest paid will get Sh289,857.

If Kuppet has its way, the lowest paid teacher will get Sh73,986 and the highest Sh605,960.

Mr Milemba said the union hopes to conclude the talks by end of October so that teachers can allow candidates to sit for their national examinations under a conducive environment.

Mid this year, TSC and the unions signed a CBA in Mombasa which will run from July 2013 to June 30, 2017. The deal was signed to end a spate of strikes that had paralysed learning.