Teachers receive salary increases between Sh785 and Sh5141
Teachers receive salary increases between Sh785 and Sh5141
Teachers receive salary increases between Sh785 and Sh5141
The new salary arrangement that was recently struck between teachers’ unions and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has drawn criticism from educators. The deal calls for a pay raise that takes effect at the same time as the housing levy and new National Social Security Fund (NSSF) rates, and ranges from Sh785 to Sh5,141.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (Kusnet) have all approved of this arrangement. Kuppet, however, had criticized the idea just last week, calling it an unfavorable agreement and charging the employer with deceit. The projected increase amounts to a 2.4% to 9.5% increase.
However, this wage increase will be offset by a 1.5% housing levy deduction and a Sh360 NSSF reduction that will be added to teachers’ payslips. Due to their participation in the pension program Public Service Superannuation Scheme, teachers were previously free from NSSF deductions.The new wage agreement will go into effect this month, and the upcoming payments for August will include the higher salaries. According to TSC, the payment modification will be retroactive to this past July.
Sadly, the new agreement means that any pay increases will virtually be cancelled out by the newly implemented mandatory deductions. There will be no salary raises for teachers in pay categories C4, C5, D4, and D5, which are in the minimum wage range. D1 educators will also receive a Sh785 increase the most.
According to the amended agreement, employees in pay Grade B5 will receive a minimum wage increase of Sh2,074, bringing their annual salary up to Sh23,830. Similar to this, employees in job group C1 will see an increase in pay from Sh27,195 to Sh29,787, or Sh2,592. The salary for teachers in job category C2 will increase by Sh3,331, from Sh34,955 to Sh38,286.
The minimum pay for instructors in C3 will now be Sh45,671, up from Sh43,154. However, under this new wage agreement, the incomes of teachers in job categories C4 and C5 will remain the same at Sh52,308 and Sh62,272, respectively.The remuneration of D1 instructors would increase by Sh785, going from Sh77,840 to Sh78,625. D2 teachers will experience a wage increase of Sh1,455, moving from Sh91,041 to Sh92,496; D3 teachers will have a pay increase of Sh1,399, moving from Sh104,644 to Sh106,043.
The salaries of teachers in D4 and D5, however, would continue at Sh114,242 and Sh131,380, respectively, without any pay increases.
Akello Misori, the secretary general of Kuppet, noted a change in the union’s position and noted that the salary agreement is now seen as essential to reducing the impact of inflation on teachers. He also liked the idea of increasing housing subsidies for teachers working in remote areas.The teacher promotion procedure has drawn the ire of the unions, notwithstanding their support for the salary accord. The career development standards, according to Kuppet, are unfair to teachers in lower ranks. Despite the fact that the agreement has been signed, the parties aim to work through a technical committee made up of TSC and union officials to resolve any disagreements, particularly those regarding teacher compensation for performing roles.
Nancy Macharia, the TSC CEO, revealed that the commission had promoted 14,738 teachers and that there were still 36,275 openings for promotions.