Pay talks with teachers collapse as Teachers Service Commission insists on job evaluations

Teachers' pay talks collapsed yesterday after their employer insisted that an increase in basic salary was only possible following a job evaluation.

The evaluation to be undertaken by the Public Service Commission (PSC) is expected to last eight months before any meaningful consultative talks on increments on the basic pay can take place.

However, the teachers did not come out empty handed after yesterday's talks - they managed to secure a comprehensive medical cover.

Representatives of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) at the meeting were disappointed that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) introduced the new condition to the negotiations.

Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori described the collapsed talks as a sad day for teachers, saying the Government had resorted to introducing the new requirement of job evaluations in the talks that were to be concluded yesterday.

Mr Misori, however, admitted that although the teachers did not have any increase in the basic pay, they had been awarded a comprehensive medical cover in which insurance provider AON had been identified.

"Teachers need a comprehensive cover as at 'yesterday'. They may be disappointed on pay but let them have a medical cover. They came with the job evaluation today (yesterday) and it will take eight months," said Misori.

According to Misori, AON Minet is expected to underwrite the cover with the service providers as the contract is being prepared for signing.

By the time of going to press, the two teachers' unions, TSC and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) were still in a closed-door meeting at TSC headquarters.

However, a source who was in the meeting but who sought anonymity said the teachers' employer maintained that the basic salary for teachers had already been fully harmonised with that of civil servants with effect from July 1, 2012, and that any further reviews would only be undertaken in the context of any advice from SRC, which will carry out a job evaluation of the public sector.

WAGE BILL

Future salary reviews will take into account the principles of equity, fairness, evidence of productivity and fiscal sustainability of the public service wage bill as outlined in the Constitution.

During the last status report, TSC had indicated it was carrying out a comparative study on leave allowances for teachers and would present a proposal to the National Treasury for consideration in the 2015-2016 financial year.

The document prepared by TSC on progress of the talks also stated that it was making a follow-up on a contributory pension scheme which, when implemented, would significantly improve retirement benefits for teachers.