Kuppet wants Sh23bn for perks to avert strike

Kuppet National Chairman Omboko Milemba (left) addressing the press at their Nairobi offices on June 9, 2013. Photo/ANN KAMONI  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By BENJAMIN MUINDI

The secondary school teachers have asked the government to factor in Sh23 billion during the on-going budget-making process to level their allowances with other public servants.

The allowances are commuter (Sh15.5bn), leave (Sh3bn) and responsibility (Sh4.5bn) for principals, their deputies and heads of departments, their union stated on Sunday.

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) said it will “ready its members to boycott work if their demands were not included in the budget.”

Kuppet chairman Omboko Milemba said it was “an injustice that teachers received less or no allowance as other civil servants in the same pay grade.”

“We have notified the relevant people including the House Budget and Education committees of this disparity that has spanned for years,” Mr Milemba said during a press conference at Kuppet offices in Nairobi.

“We also wish to tell our teachers that they need to be prepared. There will be no teaching in public schools a day after the budget is read in Parliament if these demands are not met,” he said while accompanied by other union officials.

If the perks are approved a secondary school teacher at entry level will earn Sh2,000 on commuter and Sh4,000 on leave allowances per month.

They will not enjoy responsibility allowance.

But a chief principal will earn Sh17,590 (commuter), Sh11,500 (leave) and Sh10,000 (responsibility), on top of their enhanced salaries negotiated last year after a three-week strike.

“Teachers are not willing to take anything less this time round than what they deserve. We have made our case early enough and we hope the government will be considerate,” Mr Milemba added.

But away from the allowances, teachers have also asked the government to set aside money to employ 40,000 teachers (primary and secondary schools teachers) and also 24,000 nursery school teachers.

These demands will push the budget allocation this year up by Sh46 billion
.

Kuppet has also asked the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to terminate plans to employ teachers on contract as well as effect annual promotion across the grades.

“We are concerned that if teachers are not promoted as has been the tradition over the years, they are going to be demoralised and this will also be in contravention of the teachers’ schemes of service,” Mr Milemba said.

“If teachers are demoralised, then even the attainment of Vision 2030 will be a pipedream.”