Homabay County Proceeds to Reduce ECDE Teacher Salaries despite SRC’s Assurances
The County Government of Homabay has gone ahead and slashed the salaries of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) despite the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) having issued assurances over the same.
Following the decision, ECDE teachers from the county have protested over the alleged move.
This happened despite the SRC issuing assurances that the teachers’ salaries will not be slashed.
This was revealed during a meeting between the SRC and the Senate Committee on Education when the SRC Chairperson Lynne Mengich said that the circular was erroneous and misleading.
The SRC had dismissed the viral circular that had recommended new reduced salaries to ECDE teachers.
The SRC chair appeared before the Joe Nyutu-led Senate Committee of Education and the Council of Governors Education Committee Chairperson Dr Erick Mutai who reiterated their stand that ECDE teachers’ salaries cannot be reviewed downwards.
“We came to learn about the new salary structure in the media. It is not based on any fact and the SRC structure of 2021 is the one that prevails. No ECDE teacher will have their salary reduced to Kes. 7,000,” said Mengich.
This is not what transpired for Homabay County ECDE teachers who have predictably reacted negatively in protest of Governor Gladys Wanga’s administration for deciding to implement the SRC’s recommendations that included a reduction of the ECDE teachers’ salaries.
The teachers threatened to go on strike and gave the county seven days’ notice to rescind its decision to cut their new salary structure.
Through their Kenya National Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (KUNOPPET) the teachers implored the county to review the decision and their original terms of employment reinstated.
The County is believed to have reduced the salaries of the teachers after the SRC’s recommendations to the governor. The teachers were then shocked to receive January payslips indicating a reduction in their salaries.
Some teachers were served a raw deal with their terms of employment having been changed from permanent and pensionable to contractual terms.
This caused panic among teachers who even threatened to down tools in the coming week.
According to the KUNOPPET Chairperson Lawrence Otunga, the union was not consulted before the decision was made. In his view, salary reductions are like a punishment for teachers.
Nobody is ready to listen to teachers when they are asking for what is rightfully theirs. They are always threatened while trying to assemble to present their grievances,” he said.
Under Governor Cyprian Awiti’s leadership, employment terms for ECDE teachers were reviewed for pre-primary education teachers before elections. This led to 1,357 teachers being confirmed on permanent and pensionable terms.
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