Knut demands 60% salary increment for teachers in July CBA talks

Teachers have demanded a 60 percent salary rise from their employer-the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) immediately.

Through their umbrella body- the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), the teachers on Wednesday said they will take nothing less than a pay rise.

Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu said the union has already presented their proposal to TSC requesting for review the 2021 – 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The CBA did not award teachers any salary increase for the next five years. 

“It is true that we signed a CBA that extended maternity leave days for our female teachers and introduced a paternity leave for male teachers, but with the current economic challenges, teachers need money benefits and hence a demand for a salary increment, ” said Mr Oyuu.

Two weeks ago, the TSC and teachers union retreated to Naivasha for possible review  of the CBA among other issues.

According to Knut, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a salary increment for civil servants during Labour Day celebrations; a proof that the country’s economy has recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic shocks.

Mr Oyuu said the TSC should present the teacher’s salary proposal to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to ensure that teachers receive salary increment soonest.

“We both agreed to have a structured conversation and we agreed to have a structured salary increment,” he said.

Knut has also demanded for promotion of teachers with higher education qualifications.

Mr Oyuu said there are over 60,000 teachers with additional  qualifications such as degrees, masters and PhD and they deserve to be promoted.

On Teacher Professional Development (TPD), Knut has demanded that Parliament to appropriate Sh4.5 billion to cater for the Teacher Professional Development