Pressure mounts for Treasury to release sh13.5B for teachers CBA increment

The government Treasury is facing unprecedented pressure from teachers who want their second phase of the 2021 – 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) paid.

Details have emerged that the officials of the Education Committee in the National Assembly are in talks with the National Treasury and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure that the CBA signed in July 2021 is fully implemented.

CBA awarded teachers a salary increment of up to 9.5 per cent starting from 1st July, last year. The first phase was paid in August last year with arrears backdated from 1st July 2023.

Both the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) have called on the government to release sh 13.5 billion which is key to implementing the payrise deal.

The teacher unions have planned a nationwide strike that is scheduled to start on 26th August 2024 should the government fail to address their plight.

Yesterday Knut officials led by its secretary general, Collins Oyuu, met the Labour CS Alfred Mutua in a meeting to unlock the pay impasse among other grievances.

Mutua who was accompanied by Principal Secretary for Labour Shadrack Mwadime said he together with other parties will meet the union officials in another meeting next week to dialogue and make an agreement on the CBA that teachers want implemented to the latter.

Knut together with Kuppet had given the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) seven days to implement the CBA 2021 – 2025 that was signed in June 2021 and amended by an addendum in August 2023.

CS Mutua promised to address other issues raised by the union officials which include poor teachers’ medical services and non-remittance of SACCO and loan deductions.

“The union raised several key issues, including the delay in implementing the second phase of the 2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which promised a salary increment of 7% to 9%, as well as concerns about the teachers’ medical scheme, non-remittance of SACCO and loan deductions, and delays in retirement benefit payments,” said Mutua in a statement.

Already Kuppet has registered a labour dispute with the Ministry of Labour, a key stage ahead of the planned teachers’ strike on August 26, 2024, just as schools prepare to reopen for Third Term.

The union wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Labour Alfred Mutua, laying the reasons for the dispute and said that it has been unable to amicably resolve differences with the employer – TSC – through social dialogue.

Luanda MP Dick Maungu speaking during the constituency Education Day on Friday stated that the opposition will press for immediate adoption of the CBA.

“We cannot sit back and watch our teachers suffer and learning disrupted. We will fight to ensure the 2021-2025 CBA is fully implemented,” Maungu said.