TSC to delay teachers August salaries over pending CBA talks

Teachers employed by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will receive their August salaries unusually late.

This follows flopped talks that were aimed at reviewing the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on Tuesday in Kabete, Nairobi.

Knut and Kuppet will meet TSC again on Monday next week in Naivasha for a second attempt to strike a salary deal.

The Commission has already hinted at holding August salaries till the CBA talks are concluded.

The Commission must pay August salaries with salary increment as directed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

TSC has already paid some third party obligations for teachers such as insurance premiums and loans.

This means teachers may have their August salaries paid as late as Friday next week due to the dragged negotiations.

TSC will also publish and release the new salaries and allowances for teachers from job group B5 to D5.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) already announced a salary increment of 7 to 10% paid in two phases and backdated from 1st July 2023.

TSC however want to enshrine the payrise in the CBA it signed with teachers unions in 2021.

The Commissions salary offer of 2.4-9.5% which will see the lowest teacher in job group B5 getting Sh1,037 in increment was rejected by unions.

The TSC had proposed a 9.5% increment for the lowest earning teacher and 2.4% for the highest grades.

“It’s sad that what the TSC presented is even less than the advisory that the SRC gave. We have given them up to Monday to come up with tangible proposals. Our hopes have been dashed by further mutilation of what we regard as a windfall from the President and the SRC advisory,” said Kuppet secretary Mr Akello Misori.

The union officials had struck the 7-10% deal with President Ruto when they met in at State House as he was lobbying for support of the Finance Bill 2023, which he has since signed into law.

Knut secretary Mr Collins Oyuu said the increase was meant to cushion teachers from the harsh economic situation in the country and that the TSC tabled nothing new.

Mr Misori said Kuppet presented its salary increment proposals in 2019 and that the negotiations were meant to commence in 2020 but were disrupted by the pandemic.

In July 2021, the unions agreed to a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that did not have a monetary component hoping to review it when the economy improved.

“We want to know who’s telling the truth: whether TSC is not aware there was an advisory, whether they’re not aware that the President pronounced himself on this or whether they’re not aware we were prepared for not less than what was offered,” Mr Misori said.

Mr Oyuu said Tuesday’s meeting at the Kenya School of Government had nothing to do with the expected review of the 2021-2025 CBA.

“Knut will not honour anything brought to us by SRC. After all, what’s the essence of negotiation? Legally, the employer cannot present to the unions what is already done by the SRC,” he said.

The SRC had proposed the 10 per cent raise going to the highest earners and seven per cent to the lower cadre.

“The 2017-2021 CBA mainly benefited teachers in administrative positions. We must have a total inversion of the expected seven to 10 per cent, with the lowest earning teacher getting the 9.5 per cent.

TSC to delay teachers August salaries over pending CBA talks

Teachers employed by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will receive their August salaries unusually late.

This follows flopped talks that were aimed at reviewing the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on Tuesday in Kabete, Nairobi.

Knut and Kuppet will meet TSC again on Monday next week in Naivasha for a second attempt to strike a salary deal.

The Commission has already hinted at holding August salaries till the CBA talks are concluded.

The Commission must pay August salaries with salary increment as directed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

TSC has already paid some third party obligations for teachers such as insurance premiums and loans.

This means teachers may have their August salaries paid as late as Friday next week due to the dragged negotiations.

TSC will also publish and release the new salaries and allowances for teachers from job group B5 to D5.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) already announced a salary increment of 7 to 10% paid in two phases and backdated from 1st July 2023.

TSC however want to enshrine the payrise in the CBA it signed with teachers unions in 2021.

The Commissions salary offer of 2.4-9.5% which will see the lowest teacher in job group B5 getting Sh1,037 in increment was rejected by unions.

The TSC had proposed a 9.5% increment for the lowest earning teacher and 2.4% for the highest grades.

“It’s sad that what the TSC presented is even less than the advisory that the SRC gave. We have given them up to Monday to come up with tangible proposals. Our hopes have been dashed by further mutilation of what we regard as a windfall from the President and the SRC advisory,” said Kuppet secretary Mr Akello Misori.

The union officials had struck the 7-10% deal with President Ruto when they met in at State House as he was lobbying for support of the Finance Bill 2023, which he has since signed into law.

Knut secretary Mr Collins Oyuu said the increase was meant to cushion teachers from the harsh economic situation in the country and that the TSC tabled nothing new.

Mr Misori said Kuppet presented its salary increment proposals in 2019 and that the negotiations were meant to commence in 2020 but were disrupted by the pandemic.

In July 2021, the unions agreed to a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that did not have a monetary component hoping to review it when the economy improved.

“We want to know who’s telling the truth: whether TSC is not aware there was an advisory, whether they’re not aware that the President pronounced himself on this or whether they’re not aware we were prepared for not less than what was offered,” Mr Misori said.

Mr Oyuu said Tuesday’s meeting at the Kenya School of Government had nothing to do with the expected review of the 2021-2025 CBA.

“Knut will not honour anything brought to us by SRC. After all, what’s the essence of negotiation? Legally, the employer cannot present to the unions what is already done by the SRC,” he said.

The SRC had proposed the 10 per cent raise going to the highest earners and seven per cent to the lower cadre.

“The 2017-2021 CBA mainly benefited teachers in administrative positions. We must have a total inversion of the expected seven to 10 per cent, with the lowest earning teacher getting the 9.5 per cent.

18 Comments