The Salaries and Remuneration Commission has broken silence over the teachers’ July salary raise that is now in doubt. SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich said that within the next two weeks, the commission would give directions on the salaries.
She added that the commission was also considering submissions from the Teachers Service Commission. “Please note that the commission is looking into the submission, the outcome will be communicated. We will give directives in the next two weeks,” Ms. Mengich told local daily newspaper, Daily Nation.
The Nation further reported that a source at the TSC revealed that the directives from SRC are key to guiding them the teachers’ uly salary raise. “The directives from the SRC are the ones to guide the TSC, without that communication the teachers’ employer is actually helpless,” the source was quoted.
Last week, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has issued a seven-day strike notice to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The union is protesting against delayed talks to effect a salaries and promotion deal. The delay means that unlike previous years, teachers will not be getting higher salaries and promotions this July.
“Teachers expect nothing other than a salary review this year. We have gathered that TSC was advised by the Salaries Remuneration Commission (SRC), but TSC has not shared the advisory with us,” KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori said.
Civil servants allowances cut to 40 per cent of basic salary from July
Teachers under KUPPET and KNUT have been negotiating for the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) following the expiry of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.
KUPPET wants its teachers to be offered a 70 percent pay rise in the next CBA, from the current 30 percent. It has also demanded that the Ministry of Education ensure that salary increase arrears for over 3500 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) teachers transferred from TSC to the Public Service Commission (PSC) are provided before the current CBA expires.
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