TSC Salary Review for Teachers in July 2021; What Kuppet Said after the Reading of the Budget for the 2021/2022 Financial Year
Now that the Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani unveiled what the government has in stote for the education sector during the 2021/2022 financial year, all eyes and ears are trained towards the Teachers Service Commission, TSC to see what response it will give to teachers’ unions on matters salary rise for teachers come July 2021.
Barely two weeks ago, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, Kuppet issued a strike notice should the Teachers Service Commission dare play monkey games with the issue of teachers’ new increased salaries as from July 2021.
This follows the slow nature in which the Teachers Service Commission is responding to KUPPET’s proposal encompassing new salary perks for all teachers.
According to Kuppet leaders, the Commission is dragging the conclusion of talks bordering on the new teachers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA 2021-2025 despite the current one almost coming to a closure this June.
A new Collective Bargaining Agreement is a necessary evil if there has to be industrial tranquility in Kenya’s Education sector. Without a new CBA in place by July, the unions have vowed to stir bile again and throw the entire education sector into confusion once more by calling upon members to down their tools and demand for better salaries.
Currently, the Teachers Service Commission is under pressure emanating from the teachers’ unions to ensure that a new CBA is in place come July so that teachers can continue performing their duties well.
This comes at a very critical time when the government is set to roll out the new talent and competence-based curriculum, CBC fully in the place of the results-based 8-4-4 system.
New details have now emerged indicating that there is more than it meets the eye in spite of KUPPET’s deafening silence.
Teachers have been wondering why Kuppet has remained mum over the new CBA 2021-2025 with some equating its operations to that of a toothless dog that barks without biting.
However, the union is still intact since its national governing council held a meeting on June 10 at Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi to meditate over the issues affecting the teachers.
During the meeting, KUPPET’s national office pledged to issue an official response next week on the July 2021 pay rise and new Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA 2021-2025 for the teachers after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, SRC Submission this coming week.
The meeting’s objectives also touched on the deliberate failure by the Treasury to factor teachers’ salary review in the just released TSC budgetary allocation for the 2021/2022 financial year.
