Teachers unions are working behind the curtain to secure salary increment for their members.
Both Knut and Kuppet officials are reported to be in casual meetings with top TSC officials to iron out issues that will give room for salary review.
Despite teachers missing out payrise through the national budget some union officials say it is possible for teachers to get salary increment through a supplementary budget.
Supplementary Budget is the request for additional funds by Ministries and Departments during the course of the year.
Teachers missed out on national budget after TSC and teachers unions failed to agree early enough to review the non-monetary CBA they signed in July last year, to include a salary component.
Sources say the Commission is more concerned in plugging the teacher shortage than using resources to pay salaries.
Despite Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani allocating an additional Sh14.8 billion to TSC this year, the Commission refuted claims that it will use the money for awarding salary increment to teachers.
In a report that was presented in Parliament, TSC says the allocated additional money will be used to employ more teachers.
In the budget TSC was allocated sh 2.5 billion for employing 5,000 teachers on permanent terms and another sh 1.2 billion for employing 6,000 others on internship.
The Commission talks with teachers unions Knut and Kuppet on review of CBA 2021 – 2025 which would give room for salary changes for teachers, collapsed.
Kuppet attempt to force the Commission to review teachers salaries failed. Kuppet which had initially issued a strike notice withdrew and have since gone mum.
In a January 17 letter to TSC, Kuppet demanded a pay rise of at least 30 per cent for its members.
In its proposal, Kuppet wants the basic monthly salary of the lowest paid teacher to be raised from Sh34,955 to Sh59,425 and that of the highest paid increased from Sh118,242 to Sh153,715.
It also wants an increase in the commuter allowance from Sh5,000 to Sh8,500 for the lower cadre teachers and Sh16,000 to Sh20,000 for the highest paid tutors.
Knut on the other hand is pushing for a pay rise of between 15 and 20 per cent.
So far TSC has only listed six job groups that will get a payrise when money is allocated in July.
The Commission says teachers in the six job groups will earn salary increment with arrears in July 2022 when money will be available.
TSC says teachers in grades B5, C1, C2, C3 and D5 will not get payrise because they are not eligible according to the CBA 2017 -2021 terms.
According to TSC the teachers have reached their maximum salary points popularly known as ‘bar’ and therefore it will not be possible for their salaries to progress upward.
“Grades B5, C1, C2, C3, and D5 have reached the maximum salary points provided for in the banding by the completion of the cycle for CBA 2017 – 2021,” reads the document.
However the Commission says grades C4, C5, D1, D2, D3 and D4 have not yet attained the maximum salary points provided for in the salary banding.
TSC says it will extend the salary points for these grades starting 1st July 2020.
The Commission says it pay the teachers their salary increment with arrears from the date they attained the maximum salary point to January 2022.
“The arrears will be processed by July 2022 when funds become available,” said the Commission.
Below is a summary of the extended salary points from Grade C4 to D4.
| Salary point | C4 | Salary point | C5 | Salary point | D1 | Salary point | D2 | Salary point | D3 | Salary point | D4 |
| 1 | 52,308 | 1 | 62,272 | 1 | 77,840 | 1 | 91,041 | 1 | 104,644 | 1 | 118,242 |
| 2 | 55,604 | 2 | 64,631 | 2 | 85,269 | 2 | 93,850 | 2 | 107,873 | 2 | 121,890 |
| 3 | 56,347 | 3 | 67,080 | 3 | 87,900 | 3 | 96,745 | 3 | 111,201 | 3 | 125,651 |
| 4 | 58,482 | 4 | 69,622 | 4 | 89,748 | 4 | 99,730 | 4 | 114,632 | 4 | 129,528 |
| 5 | 60,698 | 5 | 72,260 | 5 | 90,612 | 5 | 102,807 | 5 | 118,169 | 5 | 133,524 |
| 6 | 62,998 | 6 | 74,998 | 6 | 91,041 | 6 | 105,979 | 6 | 121,815 | 6 | 137,644 |
| 7 | 65,385 | 7 | 77,840 | 7 | 93,408 | 7 | 109,249 | 7 | 125,573 | 7 | 141,891 |
According to the table above grade C4, C5, D1 and D4 the elongated salary scale points are from point three to seven.
While grades D2 and D3 the elongated salary scale points are from point two to seven. The arrears will be paid after July budget.