Politics and policy
Govt gives in to teachers' pay demands
Knut national chairman Wilson Sossion (right) with Finance minister Njeru Githae (left) exchange documents on harmonised teachers salaries at a press conference at the Tribe Hotel, Nairobi on September 23, 2012. Mr Sossion said the union's National Executive Council would meet on Monday to decide if the teachers' strike in public schools would be called off. ANTHONY OMUYA
Posted Sunday, September 23 2012 at 16:32
The National Executive Council (Nec) of the Kenya National Union of Teachers(Knut) will vote on Monday on whether teachers will go back to work after the Government agreed to pay Sh13.5 billion for their salary increment at once.
The Treasury said on Sunday the government will pay the Sh13.5 billion demanded by teachers in one payment as opposed to the three-phase payment that was to be paid in a period of 10 months.
Knut’s National Executive Council (NEC) chairman Wilson Sossion said the union would meet tomorrow (Monday) to vote on the new proposal from Treasury.
“This was the bone of contention; I will call the National Executive Council (Nec) to take a vote on the government deal,” said Mr Sossion in a telephone interview with the Business Daily.
The new deal will raise the lowest paid teacher’s salary from Sh13,750 to Sh19,500 and the highest paid teacher from Sh120,000 to Sh134,000 a month.
Minister for Finance Njeru Githae said on Sunday that there would be a Treasury meeting on Monday to discuss the financing of the new pay bill.
Mr Githae had earlier noted that raising taxes would be the ultimate means of meeting the teachers' salary demands.
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