Teachers have protested a move by the National Treasury to slash Sh10 billion from the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) budget.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Collins Oyuu said the reduction will affect implementation of the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Union and TSC.
“The government has whittled down TSC budget which certainly would affect the implementation of the second phase of teachers’ CBA,” said Oyuu in a statement. “Despite persistent efforts by TSC to justify their budget needs, the Treasury has slashed their budget by Sh10 billion, reducing it from Sh357.7 billion to Sh347.4 billion.”
The CBA provides a salary increment from 2.5 to 9 per cent.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has also insisted on full implementation of the CBA, and immediate disbursement of overdue medical funds.
Secretary General Akelo Misori recently said despite providing minimal benefits, the agreement went through the full legal process, including registration at the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
“This Agreement, which gave teachers peanuts, went through the full legal process including its registration at the Employment and Labour Relations Court. The benefits under the Agreement are cast in stone and cannot be withheld or re-negotiated,” he said.
Knut is now calling on the Treasury to unconditionally restore the Sh10 billion to enable the second phase of salary increment.
“Teachers would not accept anything short of the second phase of the 2.5 to 9 per cent salary increment awarded in 2023 since it would be an act of treachery, breach of contract and a violation of teachers’ labour rights,” said Oyuu.
He stressed that the implementation of the teachers’ CBA should not be tied to the Finance Bill 2024 which was rejected by the public or the Appropriation Bill 2024.
