By Luke Anami

Details of what the teachers signed with the government have emerged even as a war of words erupts over which teachers’ trade union got a better deal.

While the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) claims to have got a better deal, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) on the other hand say they have been the best in pushing for teachers grievances.

 Knut Chairman Wilson Sossion, who on Monday together with Knut Secretary General, Mudzo Nzili were fined Sh500, 000 each for contempt of court, says they got a better deal.

“This strike was about one item – commuter allowance. We have moved away from lumping our demands in one basket and from now henceforth, we will be negotiating item by item,” said Sossion.

“In our Return-to-Work Formula, our members will be paid their commuter allowance in two phases. Compare that with that of our brothers and you can see who got a better deal!”

The current commuter allowance for the more than 112,156 Knut members in Job Group G which is at Sh1, 001 will now be paid in two phases. The first instalment of Sh 2,501 will be paid with effect from July 1, 2013. The difference of Sh 2,999 will be factored in the next budget to be paid at a full amount of Sh 4,000.

Kuppet signed an agreement for teachers in the same Job group G to be paid in three phases. They will be paid Sh1, 901 July this year and the second phase of Sh3100 in the next financial year. The full negotiated amount of Sh4, 000 will be paid in 2015.

But Kuppet says the fact that the unions signed two different payment periods does not mean one is superior to the other.

“We signed a Return-to-Work Formula earlier and what we have is an agreement that spells out how the Government will pay teachers,” said Jeremiah Midemba, National chairman of Kuppet.

Kuppet stole the thunder when they agreed to end the strike and signed an agreement with government before Knut ended theirs.

Observers say Knut was forced to eat a humble pie when the government decided to close schools while their officials faced contempt of court charges.