Kuppet gives TSC seven days to start CBA talks

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to start talks on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that prioritises a salary increase in the budget.

Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima warned that if TSC fails to meet teachers and agree on the 2025–2029 CBA, KUPPET will mobilise all teachers to take action.

Speaking in Mombasa during a capacity-building workshop with the Canadian Teachers Federation, Nthurima accused TSC of breaking its promise to meet union officials to discuss the new CBA after the previous agreement expired.

KUPPET has submitted proposals aiming to address financial challenges teachers face due to inflation and the rising cost of living.

“TSC promised to invite us to negotiate the 2025–2029 CBA since the last one ends in June. If we don’t negotiate salaries now, the budget will be approved without considering teachers’ pay. We are demanding a meeting because we submitted our memorandum last year,” said Nthurima.

KUPPET is pushing for substantial salary increases across all job grades. For example, teachers in Job Grade B5 currently earn between Sh23,830 and Sh29,787, but with the proposed changes, their salaries could double to between Sh47,660 and Sh59,574.

Even higher grades like D5 will see increases, though at a lower percentage.

Nthurima also proposed a 20 per cent increase in house allowances for all clusters to help teachers cope with rising housing costs.

He warned against scrapping hardship allowances for teachers in remote areas and called for reclassification of hardship zones to include areas such as Lari in Kiambu and Nairobi County.

“Transportation costs are a heavy burden, so the union proposes increasing commuter allowances by 200 to 250 per cent across job grades. We also want daily subsistence allowances to reflect current travel expenses,” said Nthurima.

KUPPET is also pushing for leave allowances equal to one month’s basic salary to provide teachers with better financial support during breaks.

The union seeks a hazardous allowance of 20 per cent of basic salary for science teachers working in risky environments, compensating for lab-related dangers.