The Kenya National Union of Teachers has given the Teachers Service Commission 14 days to review the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in 2021.
Knut secretary general Collin Oyuu said with the high cost of living pushed by the Finance Act 2023, teachers need a good salary.
“We have written a letter to the TSC and I have given them 14 days to bring us to the table so that we can start reviewing the monetary CBA that we signed in 2021,” Oyuu said.
“We must not forget that the economic situation is so biting that we have to sit again so that there is something on the table for the teachers.”
He said the Salaries Remuneration Commission had prevented Knut from negotiating anything relating to salaries signed in 2021.
However, now that it has lifted the caveat on negotiations, the union seeks to sit down with the commission and open the way for dialogue.
“We congratulate TSC for launching the 2023-2027 strategic plan. The over Sh70 billion to be used by TSC in rolling out the strategic plan is very welcome as it was clear that it will be used in other areas apart from teachers’ salaries,” Oyuu said.
He said Knut was ready to push TSC to the table so that teachers’ salaries are also considered in the strategic plan.
“Earlier, TSC came up with a proposal of Sh2 billion for teachers' allowances, which is welcome, although the National Treasury reduced it to Sh1 billion. We still want our TSC to sit with us and reopen the way for negotiations,” Oyuu said.
The secretary general said a well paid teacher is an effective teacher.
“A poorly paid teacher cannot perform. If the government wants performance, we will reopen the negotiations of the salary component that we missed in 2021,” he said.