THE BITTER PILL THAT DENIED OVER 32, 000 TEACHERS PAY RISE AND TSC PROMOTIONS; LATEST TSC NEWS
In a nutshell;
Teachers affiliated to the Kenya National Union of Teachers, KNUT did not receive a penny out of the July 2020 TSC salary increments and consequent promotions for they fall under the old schemes of service, SOS instead of the Career Progression Guidelines, CPGs.
TSC Head of Communications, Ms. Beatrice Wababu has confirmed that indeed 32, 556 teachers did not receive any promotions or salary rise since they still do fall under the old schemes of service being championed by KNUT.
However, some 47, 131 teachers in grade B5 have been promoted by the Commission to the next job group, C1 using the Career Progression Guidelines, CPGs. This number includes teachers who either belong to the Kenya Union of Post-primary education Teachers, KUPPET, or non-unionized.
NOT QUALIFIED
To clarify the matter, Ms.Wababu said that the TSC human resource department found the teachers unfit for promotion and subsequent salary increment for they fell under the Schemes of Service.
For a long time now, the TSC has sidelined the schemes of service being propagated by the Sossion-led union KNUT. Therefore, the 32, 051teachers in B5 did not qualify for promotion toC1.
Decrying the outright discrimination of KNUT members by the Commission, KNUT secretary-general has urged the affected members to remain calm adding that the union will not be toppled.
“The illegal, discriminative, and blatant abuse of teachers’ constitutional rights is the highest form of unfair labor practice that violates all International Labour Organization, ILO conventions, standards, and treaties. The aim is to permanently kill KNUT and silence its members once and for all,” said Sossion.
THE EXODUS
Unending wrangles between KNUT and TSC have seen many teachers dump KNUT for KUPPET to get salary increments and promotions.
The promoted grade B5 teachers will now earn a basic salary between Ksh 27,195 and 33, 994 up from the initial 21, 756, and Ksh 27, 195.
TSC TPAY
Unlike in the past, teachers can now easily access their payslips online via the TSC TPAY portal.
Once logged in, teachers are at liberty to manage their third party transactions including union dues.
This has made it easy for teachers to leave unions, especially KNUT whose membership continues to shrink day by pay.
The once giant union has now been reduced to a shell and the once vibrant union leader Wilson Sossion has been reduced to a toothless dog that only barks without biting.
Some stakeholders now feel that Sossion’s leadership at KNUT is doing more harm than good especially now that the TSC has deregistered him and refused to engage him in any talks on grounds that he is no longer a teacher.
While Sossion is lamenting about the unfair treatment of KNUT members by the Commission, the TSC claims that the court ruling that reinstated the old schemes of service has made it extremely difficult for the Commission to implement the 2017-2021 collective bargaining agreement, CBA.
With 32, 000 teachers now counting their losses, all eyes are on Sossion and KNUT to see their next step. As KNUT continues to suffer blow after blow from the Commission, KUPPET is enjoying the warmth of TSC shelter.
Last year, KUPPET got invited for further deliberations on the next CBA.
