The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has called in teachers’ unions for another round of negotiations on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The Commission failed to agree with the two major teachers unions, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) during the first round of negotiations towards the end of June.
KUPPET has given a seven days ultimatum for TSC to table a CBA offer that comprises of monetary value for its members. If TSC was not going to listen to the demands of the teachers union, they threatened to go on strike and paralyze learning in the first term of the 2021 academic year.
TSC has responded by calling in another round of negotiations that will lead to the signing of a new CBA.
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia revealed today that the Commission is confident that the unions will return to the negotiation table to complete talks on the new CBA.
“Our doors of dialogue will forever remain wide open for further negotiations. We are confident that the unions will come back to the negotiation table to finalize this critical process for the interest of the Kenyan child and the teachers of this country,” said Dr. Nancy Macharia today.
TSC tabled a CBA excluded changes in pay for teachers therefore leading to a standoff between the Commission and the teachers unions.
According to TSC, the decision to stop any increment on salary was made following input from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
“SRC gave an advisory that there would be no review of the basic salary structures, allowances and benefits paid to the public sector in the financial year 2021/2022 – 2022/2023,” revealed TSC CEO after a meeting with the officials of the teachers unions this week at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.
The two teachers unions rejected the Commission’s offer that maintained the current salary rates but was open to negotiate on other components of the CBA following the SRC’s advice.
The view of the teachers unions is that a new CBA should comprise of monetary gains for its members.
KUPPET had handed in their benefit proposals on salaries and allowances for their members but KNUT’s officials were in office for only a day prior to the negotiations.
KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori revealed that the union is pushing for a pay rise that would cushion teachers against the burden of increased workload that the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will cause and inflation as the Kenyan economy always involves an increase in prices of commodities as the country struggles to deal with service its loans overseas.
“KUPPET is reluctant to entertain a CBA that does not have monetary benefits,” said Akelo Misori in a statement.
The KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori declared his opposition to the Commission’s proposal concerning the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“Given the wide irregularities in remuneration across the various cadres in the expiring 2016-2021 CBA, coupled with the sharp inflation in the country, this is the time to review the teachers’ salaries,” read a statement from the union.
In a statement, KUPPET termed the contents of the TSC proposals ‘negligible improvement’ in the working condition of teachers.
According to KUPPET, this comprises maternity leave from the current period of 90 days to 120 days.
TSC also proposed the fast-tracking of promotions in arid and semi-arid areas. Besides, they included the newly passed pre-adoptive leave for parents who wish to bond with their children.
“After the current CBA expires tomorrow, the KUPPET National Governing Council will meet within seven days, to deliberate on the incipient vacuum and give directions to our members,” said a statement from the union.
The newly elected KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu on his part termed the proposal as laughable.
Earlier in the month, SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich issued a statement indicating that they were still going on with the CBA negotiation process and that the SRC was looking at the submissions that TSC made as far as teachers’ proposals on salary review were concerned.
However, union officials said there is still uncertainty in the future as the National Treasury did not factor in the teachers’ salary increments in the Budget.
In the Budget, the Treasury set aside Sh. 588 billion to the Ministry of Education in the 2021/2022 financial year. Concerning the CBA for the years 2021-2026, no funds were allocated.
The Current CBA expires tomorrow the 30th of June 2021.
Enhancement of maternity and paternity leaves from 90 to 120 days and 14 to 21 days were among the TSC’s proposals in the discussions.