TSC Presents New Teachers’ Salaries And Allowances Increments

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has proposed a minimum of 16 percent new salary increment for teachers. The salary increment is to be approved so as to be included in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) cycle.

In the proposals, the new CBA already deposited at the Salaries and Remuneration Commission is to take effect July 2021.

The 16 percent rise in pay should be for teachers in administration grade C4 to C5 who reaped big from 2016 to 2021 CBA. Classroom teachers in lower grades, B5 to C3 are to be awarded an increment of 30 percent.

This essentially implies that Senior and Chief principals are to earn at least 131,380 shillings and a minimum of 157,656 shillings. Deputy principals ranked between job Group D1 to D3 will earn 77,840 shillings and 125,573 shillings.

The commission has already forwarded the CBA to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission in what argues is a thorough analysis representative of the views of the tow teachers’ unions, KNUT and KUPPET

But KNUT and KUPPET are vehemently opposed to the proposal terming them a drop in the ocean. The Unions claim there was no talk between them and TSC to come up with new salary scales as should be the case during the CBA negotiation.

KNUT is proposing a basic pay rise of between 120 and 200 percent while KUPPET wants a 30 to 70 percent increment. For allowances, TSC is proposing a 20 percent increment in commuter and leave allowances. On its part, house allowances were to be increased by 10 percent.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers has already contested the decision by the Commission. In a letter to the salaries and Remuneration Commission, KNUT Secretary General Sossion is accusing TSC of forwarding a summary of the proposals the union made.

“Sneaking proposals to SRC in such a manner shall only serve to provoke the teaching service. We write to bring to your attention the anomalies and ask that you require Teacher Service Commission to, first of all, comply with the law prior to forwarding the said proposals” Sossion said.

KUPPET is rooting for expansion of teachers allowances so as to include postgraduate and township allowances. The union also wants the commission to harmonize house allowances for all teachers.

Currently, tutors playing their trade-in towns and former municipalities are earned higher house allowances as opposed to their counterparts in rural areas. Harmonization of house allowances should be based on job groups as opposed to regions.

SRC Secretary Anne Gitau wrote to Sossion saying, the SRC has taken the issues raised and observed they are administrative in nature and should therefore be addressed by TSC and KNUT.