The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) are currently holed up in yet another closed-door meeting with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The meeting happening at the Kenya School of Government is attended by top officials from the two unions.
It comes barely a week after a similar meeting aimed at unlocking the dispute over the teachers’ salary failed to bear fruits.
KUPPET rejected a new salary proposal by TSC, saying it is below both the presidential directive and Salary Remuneration Commission advisory.
According to the union, TSC has proposed a salary of between 2.4 to 9.5 percent.
Union’s Secretary General Akello Misori said the proposal was far below their expectation, therefore, the meeting was not successful.
“It is sad what TSC has presented and is even less than what the SRC gave. The proposal according to TSC is giving lower figures than what teachers out there expect. Even what the president announced is not within what TSC is thinking about,” Misori said.
The unions are pushing for Presidential salary increment of between 7pc and 10pc which TSC said is untenable.
On the other hand, the Kenya National Union of Teachers welcomed the proposal by their employer saying it is considering low earners.
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu said in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 2017-2021, teachers in classrooms were given a raw deal as they were not being catered for.
“The 2.4 to 9.5 per cent is welcomed by KNUT. Let the lowest-earning teacher get the highest percentage and the highest-earning teacher get the lowest percentage. And so in that line, we agree with TSC and we want it to be followed to the latter,” Oyuu said.
“What has been brought in before us includes the seven to 10 percent. It is now upon us as the union together with the employer, to agree who gets what so that it does not go beyond seven to 10.”
