Sossion tells teachers to ignore SRC job evaluation

TEACHERS have vowed not to participate in an official job evaluation initiative, arguing the exercise is a ploy to disrupt and slow down pay negotiations.

This comes as the Salaries and Remuneration Commission prepares to kick off the job evaluation for teachers in the counties.

Speaking to the Star yesterday, Kenya National Union of Teachers’ secretary general Wilson Sossion cautioned members against taking part in the exercise.

“Teachers should not participate in any exercise that we have not sanctioned. We are not aware of what they [SRC] are doing and the more they do these things without consultation with the stakeholders, the more they anger teachers. And we will deal with them as we always deal with dictators,” Sossion stated.

This morning SRC chairperson Sarah Serem is expected at Mombasa’s Star of the Sea School, whereas her deputy Daniel Ogutu will be in Kisumu’s Lions School to lead the commission team in carrying out job analysis for teachers.

Commissioners Isaiah Kubai and Jason Namaske will head the teams in Lodwar and Embu respectively.

However, according to Sossion, they are opposed to the commission’s work because they don’t know the tools being used or even the expected outcome from the exercise.

Even if the exercise were to be done, it should only be the preserve of their employer, the Teacher’s Service Commission, arguing that they are not part of the public service to be evaluated by the commission.

“This translates into another affront by government on the Kenyan teachers. It is a ploy to devalue the teachers’ grades, by scaling them down through those job evaluations on the pretext of checking the wage bill,” he said.

But in response, SRC communication chief Ali Chege denied the claims, saying that the exercise is not meant to devalue any job, but it reckons that teaching has evolved and needs to be analysed so its real worth is known to help bring harmony and fairness in remuneration and compensation.

“We assures the unions that there is nothing sinister in this exercise; in fact, the exercise will be participatory and the data collected will be from the teachers themselves,” he said, adding that the exercise will help the unions and TSC make informed decisions during negotiations for Collective Bargaining Agreements, by ensuring that there is equal pay to equal work value.

He explained that the exercise is looking at 36 roles in the teaching services, and will evaluate teachers’ responsibilities, how they influence policy and strategy, and their communication effectiveness at work.