The 2021-2025 CBA That Seeks to Increase Teachers’ Salary.
According to the collective bargaining agreement for 2021-2025, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has proposed a 60% salary rise for teachers.
Collins Oyuu, general secretary of the union, stated that the teachers’ pay was last evaluated in 2016-2017.
He noted that the majority of Knut’s members are P1s with a B5 grade.
He demanded a reassessment of the collective bargaining agreement for 2021–2025, which included non-monetary perks.
“The teachers received the last salary increment in two phases-2016/2017 and 2017/2018 since the increase they were awarded was minimal it was fully paid in two instalments,” Oyuu said.
There were four payments for the remaining grades. The previous CBA ended in 2021.
The public sector unions signed a cashless CBA in July 2021, per the Salary and Remuneration Commission’s (SRC) recommendation for non-monetary CBAs owing to the consequences of Covid-19 on the nation’s economy.
However, Oyuu stated that there was an agreement that the inked CBA will be revised after one year.
“Due to this fact we have made a demand for a 60 per cent salary increment across the board,” he said.
Since July 1, 2017, teachers have not been reimbursed for the hike in the cost of living, according to the union leader.
“Going by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KBNS), the annual inflation rate stood at 9.6 per cent as at the end of October 2020,” Oyuu said.
This, he stated, has increased consistently and is predicted to reach 10% by the end of November 2020.
The SG remarked that in light of the fact that teachers had not received a pay increase for six years, they should be compensated.
“It is fair to extrapolate the annual rate of inflation over the six years (2020-2025), translating to a 60 per cent-cumulative rate of inflation.
The union stated that they have considered all CBA 2021-2025 concerns on the basis of 60 percent and the highest compensation band per grade.
Through consensus, they have suggested a 60 percent basic compensation rise across all classes.
A grade D5 teacher now earning Sh 157, 656 will receive Sh 252, 249 after a pay increase of 60%, per the salary increase demand.
The teacher in grade D4 who makes Sh121,890 will take home Sh195,024, while teachers in grades D3 and D2 who earn Sh104,644 and Sh91,0401 will take home Sh167,430 and Sh145,666 correspondingly.
The teachers of grade D1 and C5, who earn Sh 85,269 and Sh 64, 631 respectively, will receive Sh 136, 430 and Sh 103, 409, respectively. Grade C4 students earning Sh 52,308 would receive Sh 83,692, while grade C3 students earning Sh 53,943 will receive Sh 86,392.
C2 and C1 teachers earning Sh 43, 694 and Sh 33, 694 are expected to receive Sh 69, 910 and Sh 53, 910, respectively, while B5 teachers earning Sh 27, 195 would receive Sh 43, 512.
In addition to compensation increases, teachers desire the suspension of Teachers’ Professional Development (TPD).
Oyuu stated that they suggested to the presidential working group that the deployment of TPD be halted and that the Ministry of Education should focus on improving the capacity of teachers for the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
TPD was established and implemented in 2013 in compliance with the TSC Act of 2012.
It was subsequently integrated into the 2017 revised code of regulations for teachers (CORT).
During the 2016-2017 CBA negotiations, the TPD framework acted as a compass, according to Oyuu.
“Rolling out of TPD has caused a lot of ripples and anxiety amongst the teachers,” he added.
Every five years, TPD tries to assist teachers in renewing their professional certifications.
Regarding teacher advancement, the union stated that the relevant policies should be reviewed.
Currently, teachers are promoted depending on their evaluation mode rather than their qualifications.
“No teacher should lose financially out of being transferred or promoted. It is ironic when one is promoted and then they lose some benefits they really worked hard for,” he said.
Oyuu said that a letter has been sent to the panel on teachers’ stagnation and promotions, which has pledged to address the issues.
“As a union, including our elected parliamentarian members, we are so concerned about promotion and the welfare of teachers in general,” he said.
The 2021-2025 CBA That Seeks to Increase Teachers’ Salary.
