Blow to Kenyan teachers as salary review delayed

MOMBASA: Teachers may have to wait much longer to have their basic salaries increased.

This follows the pay agreement signed yesterday that postponed the review process to the next financial year.

The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed between the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) only firms the perks already enjoyed by the teachers, and states fresh dates for talks.

The four-year CBA - 2013 to 2017 - affirmed the current perks enjoyed by teachers and set fresh grounds of engagement between the teachers and the union.

The CBA states that any increase on the basic salaries shall only be reviewed in the next cycle of negotiations scheduled to start on July 1.

"Parties undertake to negotiate on the item in the next cycle of negotiations," reads the deal.

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The agreement marks the death of the 50-60 per cent salary demand by Knut, as for now, teachers will continue to enjoy salaries and allowances negotiated in 2012.

Currently, the lowest paid teacher under job group G earns a minimum of sh16,692 and a maximum of Sh21,692 per month.

The senior most teacher, chief principal, currently takes home a basic pay of between Sh109,089 and Sh144,928 per month.

The CBA affirms that teachers will enjoy commuter allowance of between Sh4,000 for lowest paid teacher to Sh16,000 for the highest paid teacher.

Senior teachers enjoy a responsibility allowance of between Sh300 and Sh600.

Teachers also enjoy leave allowances of between Sh4,000 and Sh10,000 while house allowance is spread across clusters of municipalities.

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion yesterday said in about one week, the union will start fresh round of talks with TSC that will culminate in a new basic salary review for all the teachers.

"The parties undertake to commence negotiations for a new CBA for July 1, 2017 to June 2021," reads the document.

On his part, the Kenya Union of Post Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary General Akelo Misori said the union was still studying the document.

Mr Sossion said the union moved fast to sign the agreement, without the salary component, to pave way for the next round of talks.

"We wanted this to be an anchor for the next talks because we have never had a CBA for the last 59 years. We now have structured timelines for talks and we shall place our demands on salaries again," said Sossion.

Knut officials lauded the move, saying teachers would take advantage of the political season to push for a review of their basic salary.

"We invite the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to release job evaluation findings and accord TSC with an advisory opinion for us to start negotiations from July 1," said Sossion.

TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia said the commission and the union had opened a new leaf in industrial engagements for the betterment of the education sector.

"This is a major milestone that TSC and Knut have covered because we have experienced unwarranted industrial unrest," she said.