Senior teachers win big as deal pushes salaries to Sh200bn

Senior teachers have emerged the biggest winners of the salary deal reached this week between their unions and the employer.

The workers through the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) signed new collective bargaining agreements that will cost taxpayers an additional Sh54 billion for next four years starting July next year.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) currently spends Sh168 billion out of its Sh192 billion budget to pay salaries to more than 290,000 teachers across the country. This will now increase to about Sh200 billion.

On Wednesday Kuppet signed its agreement with TSC, a day after Knut concluded its own. The two are now expected to deposit the agreements in court next week to formalise them.

Kuppet Chairman Omboko Milemba said the deal was timely and had been concluded quickly.

“We have been fighting for the increment to be pegged on the basic salary which is what has happened and that means that retiring teachers will now get a better package,” he said.

TSC Chief executive Nancy Macharia said the CBA had established a new grading and salary structure based on the principle of “equal pay for equal work.”

She said teaching had been enriched and enlarged in order to attract and retain the best professionals in public schools.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) also states that teachers who perform well in schools will earn automatic promotions after annual performance evaluation and contracting.

The new deal make the recruitment of head teachers more competitive since senior teachers at grade C2 will now be eligible to apply and compete with deputies at grade C3.

In the re-organisation, those in Job group J to N earning from Sh24,662 to Sh48,190 will now be under C1- C5 grade earning between Sh27, 195 to Sh77, 840.

Those in Job group P to T earning between Sh77,527 to 109,089 will now be under D1-D5 with a minimum salary of 93,408 and a maximum of 157,656 .

And more than 50,000 teachers who are not affiliated to any union but who will benefit from the deal will be required to pay agency fees at two per cent of the basic salary to either Knut or Kuppet.

Mrs Macharia said the CBA had created distinct career paths for all teachers.

“This will ensure that both teachers in administrative and non-administrative positions have clear career progression paths,” she said, adding that in determining the new pay grades they were guided by the principle of the relative worth of the job.

EXPAND GRADING STRUCTURE

“The worth of every job has been determined based on the category and size of school, level of responsibility and the impact of decisions made at every level. The CBA has recognised the need to expand the grading structure of the top cadre of our employees, majority of whom are school administrators in Post Primary Institutions,” said Mrs Macharia.

She added that the agreements had addressed other non-monetary but crucial benefits to teachers in areas of leaves and professional development.

(READ: Teachers strike new pay deal with TSC)

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion praised the deal, saying teachers will now be appreciated for the value of service they offer and not just for their professional credentials.

“The improvement in terms of service for teachers will make teaching competitive and attractive and will bring equity,” he said on Wednesday.

The official said the re-organisation had defined the highest apex of the teaching profession since the post of principal had been made more attractive and competitive.

He said the job evaluation that was conducted by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) played a critical role in the determination of the new salaries, adding that teachers’ services had been understated for too long.

“Teachers will now have a rightful place in the society in terms of value,” he said and urged teachers to meet their part of the bargain by working harder.

The responsibility and special schools allowances have been integrated with the salaries since principals and teachers in special schools will be moved to higher job groups.

This means that apart from earning higher salaries, teachers will also get improved allowances due to upward mobility in cadres.

It will be mandatory for headteachers to be degree holders unlike in the past when those with certificates could be promoted to the top based on experience.

According to the agreements, TSC will evaluate the performance of teachers annually through tools developed with the help of the unions.

“Parties further agree that the employer shall develop performance development programmes with a view to enhance productivity in the teaching sector,” states the CBA.