The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has finally secured a payrise offer from government to offer to teachers through a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Sources have revealed that the Commission will soon meet teachers unions for a second round of talks where it will table the offer from President William Ruto government which will set ground running for negotiations.

Insiders have revealed that TSC has heeded an advisory by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) which faulted the previous CBA (2021 – 2025) that awarded huge salaries to school administrators leaving classroom teachers with nothing.

The Commission is in a rush to seal a payrise deal that will be captured in July payroll even as President Ruto focus to change perception with teachers ahead of 2027 general elections.

Sources have revealed that TSC has secured a salary increment offer spread over four years with teachers in lower cadre getting huge benefits.

Teacher unions are said to have some details about this offer from government.

TSC had earlier met teachers unions, Knut, Kuppet and Kusnet for CBA 2025 – 2029 deal which flopped as it failed to table an offer. Details about this offer is still scanty.

The Commission had taken the unions payrise and other proposals and presented them to relevant authorities for processing.

Knut met TSC at Upper Hill TSC offices in Nairobi on 1st July while Kuppet met the Commission at same venue on 2nd July.

However in a press briefing Knut secretary general, Collins Oyuu, said talks with TSC on CBA 2025 – 2029 had collapsed as TSC failed to table a counter offer.

Oyuu gave the Commission seven days to respond warning of action if it doesn’t. Knut is seeking a 60% salary increase and a 30% rise in allowances.

However in a separate event in Kitale where over 450 Knut leaders met at Kitale School Hall, the union officials said the negotiations between the two parties have been progressing amicably noting that the talks aim to improve the welfare of teachers, who for a long time have felt neglected despite their significant contribution to the country’s education sector.

Kuppet on the other hand is proposing a salary increment of sh 29,787 for lowest teacher in job group B5 spread over four years.

The union is seeking a 100% increment on basic salary where the lowest teacher at B5 currently earning a starting salary of sh 23,830 to earn sh 47,660 after the CBA deal.

TSC acting CEO Eveleen Mitei will be chairing the second round of talks that will culminate to a deal which teachers are waiting with anxiety.

Ms Mitei who is standing for TSC CEO Nancy Macharia, who retired on 30th June, will table the offer from government that will kick fresh negotiations and signing of a CBA.

The current CBA 2021 – 2025 is set to expire on 30th June and teachers can only get a salary increment through a new CBA.

The talks spark a ray of hope for teachers who were despondent after the national budget was read without salary components.

The new salary increment will be effected in the July payroll. Treasury will implement the CBA through a supplementary budget.

Knut is demanding a 60 percent adjustment in basic salaries over the four-year period, pegged on inflation, alongside a 30 percent increase in allowances.

KNUT is further pushing for a rise in hardship allowances and joint consultations by the employer regarding review or declassification of any hardship area.

“The Employer and the Union shall jointly undertake periodic review of the areas to be classified and/or declassified as hardship areas. Any party wishing to make a review of the hardship areas shall provide three month’s written notice of the intention to make such a review, including the nature of the review to the other party,” reads the KNUT proposal in part.

Hardship refers to the challenging conditions faced by teachers working in designated areas characterized by factors such as remoteness, lack of infrastructure, and insecurity being the most prevalent.

On risk allowance, KNUT is demanding that all teachers handling technical and science subjects be entitled to a monthly risk allowance at a rate of 10 percent of their basic salary, with TSC and the union jointly undertaking periodic review of the categories of employees eligible for payment of risk allowance.

Subsequently, the annual leave as captured in the proposed CBA, KNUT demands that after completion of 12 month’s aggregated service with an employer, a teacher shall be entitled to 30 working days’ annual leave with full pay.

Newly recruited teachers, on the other hand, shall be granted paid annual leave on a pro rata basis, considering the date of appointment.

The annual leave, as per the proposed CBA, shall be taken at a time that is convenient to the employer, but the individual teacher’s circumstances shall be considered.

“No annual leave shall be delayed for more than two months without the consent of the employee concerned. Where employment is terminated after completion of two months or more months’ aggregate
service during any leave-earning period, the teacher in question shall be entitled to pro-rata leave days with full pay and a pro-rata leave travelling allowance,” reads further the CBA document.

“A teacher who is required by the employer to postpone his/her leave beyond the leave year in which
it falls will be allowed to defer such leave to the following year, provided that the total leave due will be taken before the end of the next leave year,” it adds.

Regarding the sick leave, KNUT wants in the submitted 2025-2029 CBA that after two consecutive
months of service with TSC and subject to production by the teacher of a medical certificate of incapacity from a medical practitioner or a person acting on the practitioner’s behalf in a registered hospital, health
Centre, dispensary, or medical aid center, a teacher shall be entitled to a one-year sick leave with pay, where the first 180 days will be with full pay while the next 180 days will be with half pay.

“Any teacher seeking sick leave with full pay shall notify or cause to be notified his/her employer of his/
her absence on account of sickness within 48 hours. Online application shall also apply. No teacher shall be terminated on account of sickness without his/her express authority,” reads the CBA.

KNUT is also proposing that teachers be granted convalescent leave for such a period as is recommended by a medical practitioner or a person acting on the practitioner’s behalf in a registered hospital, a health Centre, a dispensary, or a medical aid Centre.

Convalescent leave is a period of absence from work or duty, typically granted to allow for recovery from an illness or injury, which is specifically designed to facilitate healing and recuperation before returning to full duties.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has finally secured a payrise offer from government to offer to teachers through a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Sources have revealed that the Commission will soon meet teachers unions for a second round of talks where it will table the offer from President William Ruto government which will set ground running for negotiations.

Insiders have revealed that TSC has heeded an advisory by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) which faulted the previous CBA (2021 – 2025) that awarded huge salaries to school administrators leaving classroom teachers with nothing.

The Commission is in a rush to seal a payrise deal that will be captured in July payroll even as President Ruto focus to change perception with teachers ahead of 2027 general elections.

Sources have revealed that TSC has secured a salary increment offer spread over four years with teachers in lower cadre getting huge benefits.

Teacher unions are said to have some details about this offer from government.

TSC had earlier met teachers unions, Knut, Kuppet and Kusnet for CBA 2025 – 2029 deal which flopped as it failed to table an offer. Details about this offer is still scanty.

The Commission had taken the unions payrise and other proposals and presented them to relevant authorities for processing.

Knut met TSC at Upper Hill TSC offices in Nairobi on 1st July while Kuppet met the Commission at same venue on 2nd July.

However in a press briefing Knut secretary general, Collins Oyuu, said talks with TSC on CBA 2025 – 2029 had collapsed as TSC failed to table a counter offer.

Oyuu gave the Commission seven days to respond warning of action if it doesn’t. Knut is seeking a 60% salary increase and a 30% rise in allowances.

However in a separate event in Kitale where over 450 Knut leaders met at Kitale School Hall, the union officials said the negotiations between the two parties have been progressing amicably noting that the talks aim to improve the welfare of teachers, who for a long time have felt neglected despite their significant contribution to the country’s education sector.

Kuppet on the other hand is proposing a salary increment of sh 29,787 for lowest teacher in job group B5 spread over four years.

The union is seeking a 100% increment on basic salary where the lowest teacher at B5 currently earning a starting salary of sh 23,830 to earn sh 47,660 after the CBA deal.

TSC acting CEO Eveleen Mitei will be chairing the second round of talks that will culminate to a deal which teachers are waiting with anxiety.

Ms Mitei who is standing for TSC CEO Nancy Macharia, who retired on 30th June, will table the offer from government that will kick fresh negotiations and signing of a CBA.

The current CBA 2021 – 2025 is set to expire on 30th June and teachers can only get a salary increment through a new CBA.

The talks spark a ray of hope for teachers who were despondent after the national budget was read without salary components.

The new salary increment will be effected in the July payroll. Treasury will implement the CBA through a supplementary budget.

Knut is demanding a 60 percent adjustment in basic salaries over the four-year period, pegged on inflation, alongside a 30 percent increase in allowances.

KNUT is further pushing for a rise in hardship allowances and joint consultations by the employer regarding review or declassification of any hardship area.

“The Employer and the Union shall jointly undertake periodic review of the areas to be classified and/or declassified as hardship areas. Any party wishing to make a review of the hardship areas shall provide three month’s written notice of the intention to make such a review, including the nature of the review to the other party,” reads the KNUT proposal in part.

Hardship refers to the challenging conditions faced by teachers working in designated areas characterized by factors such as remoteness, lack of infrastructure, and insecurity being the most prevalent.

On risk allowance, KNUT is demanding that all teachers handling technical and science subjects be entitled to a monthly risk allowance at a rate of 10 percent of their basic salary, with TSC and the union jointly undertaking periodic review of the categories of employees eligible for payment of risk allowance.

Subsequently, the annual leave as captured in the proposed CBA, KNUT demands that after completion of 12 month’s aggregated service with an employer, a teacher shall be entitled to 30 working days’ annual leave with full pay.

Newly recruited teachers, on the other hand, shall be granted paid annual leave on a pro rata basis, considering the date of appointment.

The annual leave, as per the proposed CBA, shall be taken at a time that is convenient to the employer, but the individual teacher’s circumstances shall be considered.

“No annual leave shall be delayed for more than two months without the consent of the employee concerned. Where employment is terminated after completion of two months or more months’ aggregate
service during any leave-earning period, the teacher in question shall be entitled to pro-rata leave days with full pay and a pro-rata leave travelling allowance,” reads further the CBA document.

“A teacher who is required by the employer to postpone his/her leave beyond the leave year in which
it falls will be allowed to defer such leave to the following year, provided that the total leave due will be taken before the end of the next leave year,” it adds.

Regarding the sick leave, KNUT wants in the submitted 2025-2029 CBA that after two consecutive
months of service with TSC and subject to production by the teacher of a medical certificate of incapacity from a medical practitioner or a person acting on the practitioner’s behalf in a registered hospital, health
Centre, dispensary, or medical aid center, a teacher shall be entitled to a one-year sick leave with pay, where the first 180 days will be with full pay while the next 180 days will be with half pay.

“Any teacher seeking sick leave with full pay shall notify or cause to be notified his/her employer of his/
her absence on account of sickness within 48 hours. Online application shall also apply. No teacher shall be terminated on account of sickness without his/her express authority,” reads the CBA.

KNUT is also proposing that teachers be granted convalescent leave for such a period as is recommended by a medical practitioner or a person acting on the practitioner’s behalf in a registered hospital, a health Centre, a dispensary, or a medical aid Centre.

Convalescent leave is a period of absence from work or duty, typically granted to allow for recovery from an illness or injury, which is specifically designed to facilitate healing and recuperation before returning to full duties.