Teachers' employer will in November open negotiations on a new salary deal.
Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia on Thursday said the deal will cover five years between 2021-25. It seeks to replace the current deal, which expires in July next year.
This was part of the deliberations between the TSC and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) during a three-day meeting in Naivasha.
The meeting was held between Tuesday and Thursday this week at Sawela Lodge in Naivasha.
"Parties jointly agreed the Collective Bargaining Agreement shall include the cost of living adjustment, affordability, sustainability," a joint statement by the TSC and Kuppet reads.
On Thursday, the two parties denied that the salary negotiations had collapsed.
On Tuesday, union officers and the commission exuded confidence that they would reach an agreement during the meeting.
Macharia said the government has already implemented three of the four phases of the CBA using the Sh54 billion allocated for the process.
“This has led to industrial stability in the teaching sector and we are all set for negotiations on the next CBA that runs from 2021,” she said.
She said the next negotiations would consider the current cost of living, teachers' performance and production and government fiscal policies.
“We have agreed on the need for TSC to fast-track issuance of promotion letters to all promoted teachers and consider the career progression path of diploma teachers,” she said.
TSC chairperson Lydia Nzomo denied that the meeting was meant to address the issue of salaries, as reported.
“The retreat with the union officials was meant to review the previous CBA and set ground for the incoming one,” she said.
Kuppet secretary general Akelo Misori echoed the sentiments, saying they were looking forward to the new negotiations date.
Misori, who early in the week said that they were keen on the 70 per cent increase.
“We had a fruitful discussion with TSC and some issues raised include progression of diploma teachers,” he said.
Union vice chair Julius Korir said they did not discuss the issue of salaries. He said they had only reviewed the ending CBA with a view of making the incoming one better.
