Here Is Why There Will Be No salary Increment For Teachers And Civil Servants

Teachers, Civil servants, and state Officers looking forward to a pay rise in July should brace themselves for pain after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) agency froze salaries and other perks for a period of two years.

According to the latest circular by SRC, no new Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) will be signed during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 financial years.

The move announced on Thursday by the SRC will jolt thousands of civil servants and teachers pushing for higher pay. Teachers’ unions, which have been calling for a new Comprehensive Bargaining Agreement with their employer will now have to wait for 24 months.

Teachers are the most hit by the current freeze as they have been pushing for a new CBA; that would have seen their salaries increased.

The Commission says the freeze in salary increments because of the tough economic times and the Covid 19 pandemic.

Further, the current Public Sector Wage bill consumes a larger percentage of revenue than the target set in the Public Finance Management Act 2012 and a larger percentage of GDP compared to the average for developing countries.

The stage is now set for a stalemate between the government and teachers over the implementation of the new 2021-2026 CBA. The 2017-21 CBA ends at the end of the month, but teachers will not receive any pay increase as the Treasury did not factor in monies for the new CBA starting on July 1.

The Ministry of Education was allocated Sh588 billion in the 2021-22 financial year budget unveiled by Treasury CS Ukur Yatani last week. On Thursday, KUPPET secretary-general Akello Misori said teachers expect nothing short of salary increment from next month.

“The National Treasury will review the performance of the economy and advise SRC as/and when the review can be done based on the prevailing circumstances to ensure affordability and fiscal sustainability.” Says the SRC.

Earlier, the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, wanted a basic salary increment for teachers of between 16 percent and 32 percent; with classroom teachers getting the higher perks

The 16 percent rise in basic pay should have been for teachers in administrative grades (C4 to D5) who reaped big from the 2016-2021 CBA. Classroom teachers in lower grades (B5 to C3) were to be awarded an increment of 30 percent.

But, the teachers’ unions, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), vehemently opposed the proposals terming them a drop in the ocean.

The unions claimed there were no talks between them and TSC to come up with the new salary scales as should be the case during the CBA negotiations

KNUT then proposed a basic pay rise of between 120 and 200 percent, while KUPPET wanted a 30 to 70 percent increment.

Read More: TSC Presents New Teachers’ Salaries And Allowances Increments