Teachers Service Commission optimistic on pay talks with teachers

Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General Mudzo Nzili (left) flanked by national chairman Wilson Sossion and members of the union address a press conference in Nairobi

The Government and teachers’ unions reconvene for make-or-break pay talks on Tuesday after parties appeared to take hardline positions last weekend.

Tuesday’s session is critical as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is expected to table a counter offer that unions say holds the key to averting a nationwide strike by their members.

The smooth administration of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Form Four national examinations, which begin next week, will depend on the outcome of the discussions, because the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has threatened to ask its members to boycott supervision of the tests if the TSC offer is not “attractive”.

Yesterday, TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni confirmed today’s meeting and expressed optimism that the Government and unions would come to an agreement.

“We shall meet and if there is an offer we shall table it. But we are still consulting with various Government bodies,” said Mr Lengoiboni.

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion said today’s meeting must yield results.

“We have had two meetings and this should be the last one with an attractive offer,” Mr Sossion declared.

The last two meetings ended in a stalemate because the Government failed to formally place a substantive offer on the table, although TSC had reportedly worked out a Sh50 billion deal to increase teachers basic pay.

But the proposal was opposed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) that cited spiraling public wage bill.

Knut officials yesterday told the Sarah Serem-led SRC team to keep off salary talks.

Sossion yesterday also asked Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi to “watch his speech” with regard to the salary talks as he would prompt teachers to strike.

“Someone tell Kaimenyi to keep off. He is coming late in the day when teachers are already annoyed. We know he is working with SRC to blackmail TSC and we shall not allow that,” claimed Sossion.

Kaimenyi last week asked TSC to work with SRC and warned that “those standing in the way of talks” to allow the process to continue.

Knut is furious at SRC’s opposition to the Sh50 billion counter offer by the TSC that would have seen some 50 to 60 per cent raise in the basic pay for teachers. The perks would benefit the 288,000 teachers on the Government’s payroll.

“The commission (SRC) does not concur with TSC’s proposals to increase the basic salary by 50 to 60 per cent as the rationale for the proposed increment has not been provided,” reads a letter by Anne Gitau, SRC acting commission secretary.

She said “any proposal for salary increment in the public sector must take into account the financial impact of the increment and the effect on other sectors of the public service.”

TSC had also proposed allowances including Sh18 billion annually for leave and Sh10 billion for teachers’ housing.

Overall, the proposed package opposed by SRC added up to Sh118 billion.

Yesterday, Lengoiboni said any offer would take into account Kenya’s economic growth, inflation trends, general increase in the cost of living, sustainability and the prevailing labour market trends.

In several letters to TSC, SRC asked the teachers’ employer to justify any proposals on pay increments.

Mr Akelo Misori will represent the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education teachers (Kuppet) in the meeting.

Knut is demanding a 300 per cent salary increment among 37 demands tabled to the employer.

If the initial secret proposals were implemented, the salary of the lowest paid teacher of Job Group G would rise by some Sh10,000. There are 101,123 teachers under this category.

The highest paid 72 teachers in Job Group R would have enjoyed an increase of Sh54,545 in pay. Salaries of teachers in job group H would have risen by some Sh11,207. Others job groups that would have benefited are J (Sh13,811), K (Sh17,371), N (Sh26,023), P (Sh38,764) and Q (Sh44,874).

The union wants half of teachers’ basic salary to go to house allowance and two new jobs groups S and T created. It also wants a township allowance for teachers in Nairobi paid at a rate of 30 per cent of basic pay and 20 per cent for Kisumu and Mombasa and a risk allowance.

But the SRC opposed any review of teachers’ allowances.

“Review of the proposed allowances to be held in abeyance until the completion of the study on allowances payable to the public officers,” Gitau said.

It says the items demanded by the teachers for review had been harmonised with other public sector employees and advised the teachers’ employer to do its homework before presenting any proposals to the unions.

“TSC should demonstrate budgetary provision for the proposed remuneration structure before seeking advice from SRC,” reads another letter by Ms Gitau.

Sossion said teachers have been mobilised and are ready to leave schools once called upon, “but this will only take place in the event that they do not put something substantive on the table.”

He said teachers would not be excited to administer any national examinations if they are not listened to.

Other demands by the teachers are responsibility allowance for Job group N and above, leave allowance, a mortgage scheme and medical cover.

Last week, the unions demanded a 400 per cent increase in medical allowance, but The Standard established that TSC told the unions it is working on a comprehensive medical cover for all teachers.