Collins Oyuu says teachers were shortchanged but there is hope

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Collins Oyuu says teachers have been shortchanged in the latest amended Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

His remarks come a day after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and teachers' trade unions signed an agreement to amend the 2021-2025 CBA.

Speaking during an interview with Spice FM, KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyu says that what TSC is offering is not what was agreed upon however, it is the beginning of something.

"The last time teachers got a pay rise was in 2017. Now that we have gotten 10 per cent and we will start negotiations to get the 50 per cent. I told TSC yesterday that we appreciate the 10 per cent but we want to start a long battle to demand the 50 per cent," said Oyu.

According to him, the 2021/2025 agreement has not yet expired therefore, there is still room for more salary increments.

In 2021, Teachers Service Commission(TSC) and Trade Unions representing teachers in the public sector signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA) covering the period between July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025, where the parties agreed to suspend the monetary component of CBA and review the situation once the economy improved.

In the agreement, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) sought a basic salary review of between 30 and 70 per cent for its members while those from Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) demanded a 60 per cent increase for its members.

This is however not what TSC is willing to offer teachers.

According to the commission, teachers from those in a lower category will receive a salary increase of 9.5 per cent while those in higher grades will receive a 2.4 per cent salary increase.

In the agreement, teachers will receive an increase in their basic salary of up to 9.5 per cent which is payable in two financial years commencing on July, 1,2023.

Additionally, the housing allowance for teachers categorized under cluster four will be payable in two financial years effective from July 2023.

This means that the housing allowance for clusters three and four has been partially harmonized and will be fully harmonized in July 2024.

The new amended CBA will also see 14,738 teachers promoted in August 2023