Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers in Meru will now earn about Sh10,000 more after the Labour court ordered the County Government to implement a Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) circular of 2023.
Justice Onesmus Makau also ordered the county government to pay the teachers’ salary arrears that have accrued from August 2023.
In the recent judgment, the court also directed that the ECDE teachers are entitled to annual leave.
The Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (KUNOPPET) moved to court to compel the Meru County Government to implement the SRC circular, which provided salaries and allowances for county executive staff.
The teachers who have been earning a gross monthly pay of Sh 24,970 irrespective of their academic qualifications will now earn between Sh 34,450 for certificate holders and Sh 74,460 for degree holders.
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The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) advised counties to pay certificate holders (Job Group G) a gross salary of between Sh34,450 and Sh42,200, diploma holders (Job Group H) a salary of between Sh46,700 and Sh56,690, and degree holders (Job Group K) a salary of between Sh61,200 and Sh74,460.
KUNOPPET General Secretary Samuel Opiyo had told the court that Meru County has been employing ECDE teachers under the category of Care Givers and other Senior Support Staff.
“The council of governors approved a scheme of service for the ECDE teachers to be adopted by all the counties with effect from July 2021, but the Meru County Public Service Board has failed to do so,” Opiyo told the court.
The county government through the then county secretary Kiambi Atheru argued that they did a collective bargaining agreement with the union, hence could not implement the salary adjustments.
However, Justice Makau observed that the SRC advice was binding on all county governments.
“The said advice is not a mere suggestion but it is automatically binding and must be complied with by the respondents with or without any collective bargaining agreement. Consequently, the respondents herein are bound to implement the SRC advice conveyed vide the letter Ref: NO. SRC/TS/29(81) dated 10th August 2023 by paying the ECDE teachers according to the salaries and allowances structure therein,” Justice Makau stated.
By John Majau
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