TSC Ugly Salary Offer To Increase B5 Teachers’ Pay By Sh 1,037 Per Increment
TSC Ugly Salary Offer To Increase B5 Teachers’ Pay By Sh 1,037 Per Increment. Negotiations between teachers and employers ended on August 22, 2023 after the parties failed to agree on a salary review.
The meeting ended after union officials refused to sign an agreement proposed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to increase pay from 2.4 percent to 9.5 percent over two years.
The teachers are represented by Kenya Union of Primary Teachers (Kuppet), Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Special Needs Teachers (Kusnet).
The union accused TSC of cheating, saying the offer was increased by 10 percent from the seven percent offered by the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for all civil servants, security forces and teachers. This increase will expire on July 1, 2023.
The TSC is proposing to increase the minimum wage for the lowest paid teacher in grade B5 from the current Sh21,756 to Sh22,793 and from July next year to Sh23,830.
Teachers in this category will receive a maximum salary of Sh28,491, up from the current Sh27,195.
Meanwhile, the highest paid teacher in D5 Job D5 will not get a raise this year on his basic salary of Sh131,380. However, this will increase to a minimum of Sh157,656 and a maximum of Sh162,539 from July next year.
Housing and commuter allowances remain unchanged except for cluster 4, which is proposed to be merged into cluster 3.
That means 85 percent of teachers will benefit from an increase in take-home pay.
These increases are proposed over two years, except for Class B5, which will be applied immediately.
Cluster 1 is for teachers working in Nairobi, Cluster 2 is for Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru cities, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi and Kitale municipalities.
Cluster 3 is for other former municipalities, while other areas are in cluster 4.
United will meet with TSC again on Monday next week, which coincides with the opening of the school for the third term.
Disagreement on the salary increase is important as candidates prepare for the national exam scheduled for October and November.
Cuppet General Secretary Akello Misori said the union’s colleague, Collins Oyuu, said the union’s demand increased by 60 percent in all occupational groups and that the SRC consultant was “only a symbol”.
TSC is proposing a 9.5 percent raise for the lowest paid teachers and a 2.4 percent raise for the highest paid teachers.
“Unfortunately, what the TSC has offered is lower than the recommendations given by the SRC. We have until Monday to submit a tangible proposal. “Our hopes have been destroyed by what we believe to be a mistake by the President and SRC advisers,” he said.
Union workers negotiated a seven to 10 percent deal when they met with President Ruto at State House and lobbied to support the Finance Bill 2023, which he has signed into law.
Oyuu said the increase was meant to appease teachers from the dire economic situation in the country and nothing new at TSC.
Missouri Cuppet said it had presented a proposal to raise wages in 2019 and that negotiations would begin in 2020, but were interrupted by the pandemic. In July 2021, the unions signed a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) without a monetary component, which they hope to review as the economy improves.
“We want to know who is telling the truth: Does the TSC not know that an adviser or the president has announced himself or that we are less prepared than what was offered? – said Mr. Missouri.
Mr Oyuu said Tuesday’s meeting at the Kenya School of Government had nothing to do with the pending review of the 2021-2025 CBA.
“Knut will not appreciate what the SRC brought us. After all, what is the point of negotiations? Legally, the employer cannot offer the union what the SRC has done,” he said.
The SRC has proposed a hike of 10 percent for the top earners and 7 percent for the lower cadre.
“The 2017-2021 CBA mainly benefits teachers in administrative positions. We should have an overall decrease of seven percent to 10 percent, and the lowest paid teachers 9.5 percent.
The SRC should refuse to become a trade union. Their duty is not to negotiate, but to give advice,” he said.
TSC Ugly Salary Offer To Increase B5 Teachers’ Pay By Sh 1,037 Per Increment