Teachers demand up to 300pc pay increase

NAIROBI: A union has made new salary demands that would see the lowest paid teacher earning Sh50,016, up from Sh21,304.

The pay proposals, which will be subjected to negotiations with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), also push for the highest paid teacher to pocket Sh289,856 per month.

It is double the Sh144,928 currently paid monthly to the super earners in job group R.

The proposal to more than double the salary of the lowest paid teachers in job group G targets a section that covers a majority in the 290,000 workforce.

In addition to the salary raise, teachers also want two additional grades – S and T – introduced to correspond with those in the civil service.

Overall, the document by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) says the increase in basic salaries shall range between 200 and 300 per cent.

Knut has gone back to the initial demand that TSC later controversially countered with a 50-60 per cent pay rise offer that the Government, however, rejected, sparking a nationwide strike.

Teachers called off the strike after the Industrial Court assumed arbitration of the dispute and handed tutors a first-round victory by upholding the award, but which the Government successfully petitioned the Court of Appeal to scrap.

Knut says teachers under job group G to N should have their basic pay increased by 300 per cent while those under group P to T should get a 200 per cent rise.

“The percentage awards are calculated on minimum basic salaries and generally maintained as salaries move towards the maximum levels. The changes are built on the last phase of 2009 awards implemented with effect from July 1, 2011,” reads the document.

President Uhuru Kenyatta urged TSC to sign a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the teachers’ unions by October.

Knut and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) officials yesterday said they were yet to receive invitation letters to the first negotiation meeting.

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion last week said teachers “would walk away from the negotiations if the commission imposes a bad deal”.

But Kihumba Kamotho, the TSC head of communications, warned Mr Sossion against issuing threats on the talks.

ARM-TWISTING

“The spirit and purpose of a CBA is to ensure structured, open and honest engagement between the parties, not threats and arm-twisting,” read the TSC statement.

Mr Kamotho challenged Sossion to present proposals at the negotiations table, “like everybody else involved in the process”.

And in their memorandum proposing new salaries and allowances seen by The Standard, Knut lists reasons why teachers ought to get higher pay, among them increased inflation rate and a lack of a public service salary review commission since 1990.

Knut also says salaries in the teaching profession are dismally low. “Confusing or stalled implementation of salary awards since 1997, and serious shortfall between the demanded increase of 2008 and the awards of 2009,” the union adds, justifying higher pay.

The document, dated August 24, 2016, also says salary reviews are basic rights of workers and an incentive for effective service delivery.

In the 30-page proposal, Knut wants newly recruited teachers to be given a one-month salary advance, to be recovered over a six-month period.

The union also wants advance payments towards school fees, purchase of houses and furniture.

Knut also wants mileage claims for teachers who use their personal vehicles or motorbikes for official duties, and lists engine capacities for cars/motorbikes while pegging them on proposed rates.

Teachers propose a review of a raft of allowances – responsibility, housing, commuter, leave and medical – in addition to other professional issues that they want considered during talks.

Knut wants an automatic house allowance payable to a teacher at 50 per cent of the new basic minimum salary in the grade of the teacher.

The union also proposes an automatic commuter allowance payable at 30 per cent of the new basic minimum salary applicable to the grade of the teacher.

“Leave allowance be equivalent of one month’s salary payable to teachers once every year,” reads the proposal.

Currently, teachers get leave allowance of between Sh4,000 and Sh10,000.

And on responsibility allowance, Knut proposes that all teachers holding positions of responsibility be beneficiaries of this payment.

It also wants all principals to be given responsibility allowance calculated at 50 per cent of their basic salary while deputy principals to get 40 per cent of their basic pay.

Knut proposes that primary school heads also get half of their basic salary as responsibility allowance and their deputies get 40 per cent.

Senior teachers and heads of departments have been proposed to get 30 per cent of their basic salaries as responsibility allowance.

The union also says that hardship allowances to be retained at the current rate of 40 per cent of teachers’ basis pay, but proposes the bracket of hardship areas be expanded to include many regions.

And those teaching in towns should also get township allowances, according to Knut.

“There is no reason why such a teacher should not be compensated for the cost of living peculiar to urban areas,” reads the document.

Knut therefore proposes that teachers in Nairobi be paid 30 per cent of their basic salary as township allowance. Those in Mombasa be paid 20 per cent of their basic pay while those working in municipalities should get 10 per cent.