Teachers’ Pay Rise in Jeopardy After Treasury Cuts Sh10 Billion from Budget.
Teachers across Kenya are expressing their outrage after the National Treasury decided to slash Sh10 billion from the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) budget. This decision threatens the implementation of the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Teachers Service Commission and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut).
Collins Oyuu, the Secretary General of Knut, has been vocal about the detrimental impact of the budget cut. He explained that the government’s decision to reduce the TSC budget from Sh357.7 billion to Sh347.4 billion will significantly hamper the implementation of the second phase of the teachers’ CBA. This agreement promised a salary increment ranging from 2.5% to 9%.
“The government’s decision to slash TSC’s budget will undoubtedly affect the execution of the teachers’ CBA,” Oyuu stated. Despite TSC’s persistent efforts to justify their budget requirements, the Treasury proceeded with the cut.
Call for Immediate Action from Kuppet and Knut
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) is also demanding the full implementation of the CBA and the immediate release of overdue medical funds. Akelo Misori, Kuppet’s Secretary General, emphasized that the agreement, though providing minimal benefits, had gone through the complete legal process, including registration at the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
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“This agreement, which offered teachers very little, underwent the full legal process and cannot be renegotiated,” Misori insisted. According to the 2015 contract with TSC, teachers were to receive unlimited outpatient and inpatient services at designated health facilities, an annual maternity services cover of Sh120,000, optical cover of Sh60,000, and dental cover of up to Sh40,000. Misori pointed out that despite Parliament allocating Sh15 billion for this scheme, the government had not remitted premiums for over six months, causing the scheme to collapse.
Knut is now urging the Treasury to restore the Sh10 billion to facilitate the second phase of the salary increment. Oyuu warned that teachers would not accept anything less than the promised 2.5% to 9% salary increment for 2023. He argued that failing to honor this agreement would be an act of treachery, a breach of contract, and a violation of teachers’ labor rights. He also stressed that the implementation of the teachers’ CBA should not be tied to the controversial Finance Bill 2024 or the Appropriation Bill 2024.
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Statements from TSC Leadership
Last Tuesday, Dr. Nancy Macharia, the Chief Executive Officer of TSC, appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Education, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly. She revealed that teachers would have to wait longer for the CBA’s implementation due to the budget cut. Dr. Macharia explained that the reduction would impact the compensation of teaching service employees, preventing the commission from implementing the second phase of the CBA.
The agreement included not only a basic salary increment of up to 9.5% but also improved house allowances, particularly for teachers in cluster four. These increases focus on helping teachers cope with the rising cost of living.
In conclusion, the budget cut has put the future of the teachers’ salary increment in serious doubt. Both Knut and Kuppet are calling for immediate action to restore the funds and ensure full implementation of the 2023 CBA. The situation remains tense as teachers wait to see if the government will address their concerns and honor the agreements made.
Teachers’ Pay Rise in Jeopardy After Treasury Cuts Sh10 Billion from Budget.
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