By JANE WAITHIRA
The Murang’a County Government has signed a return-to-work agreement with Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers, bringing to an end a months-long standoff over salaries and terms of service.
The agreement was signed by officials from the county government and the County Government Workers Union (COGWU) following months of consultations, including public participation forums across all sub-counties and negotiations between the two parties.
Under the agreement, ECDE teachers will receive annual salary increments over the next four years until their pay aligns with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) guidelines.
The first salary increment will take effect at the end of July, with subsequent reviews to be undertaken in the next financial years.
Teachers holding degree qualifications will receive a monthly salary increase of Sh10,000, diploma holders will receive Sh6,000, while certificate holders will get an additional Sh4,000.
The agreement also reclassifies the teachers from the designation of caregivers to officially recognized ECDE teachers, a move expected to enhance their professional status.
In addition, teachers who have been serving as interns will be absorbed into the county workforce and their monthly salaries increased from Sh10,000 to Sh27,000.
Murang’a Deputy Governor Stephen Munania described the agreement as the first step towards addressing all the concerns raised by the teachers, assuring them that none of the issues would be overlooked.
“The agreement is a demonstration of the county government’s commitment to resolving the teachers’ concerns so that they do not feel left out as their demands are progressively addressed,” said Munania.
He added that both the county government and the workers’ union had agreed to withdraw all court cases relating to the dispute to pave the way for further negotiations and the smooth implementation of the agreement.
Munania further assured teachers who participated in the industrial action that they would not face disciplinary action for the days they were away from work.
“With this agreement, we are starting on a clean slate. I urge all teachers who are yet to sign the new employment contracts to do so immediately so they can be included in this month’s payroll,” he said.
He reiterated the county government’s commitment to improving the quality of education in ECDE centres through increased investment.
“We are committed to ensuring the quality of education in our ECDE centres remains high, and we will continue allocating more resources to achieve that goal,” he added.
COGWU Deputy Secretary John Ndunda confirmed that the union had signed the return-to-work agreement on behalf of the ECDE teachers, effectively ending the industrial dispute.
Ndunda said the union would withdraw all petitions filed against the county government and instead pursue dialogue to improve the teachers’ welfare and terms of service.
“Our role is to fight for the interests of workers, and I am pleased that the county government has agreed to address the issues we raised. By signing this agreement, we have set in motion a process that will improve the welfare of ECDE teachers,” he said.
He appealed to teachers who are yet to sign the new employment contracts to do so without delay to avoid missing out on this month’s salary processing.
Ndunda also urged teachers to make arrangements to recover lessons lost during the strike to ensure learners do not fall behind in the syllabus.
The agreement brings to an end months of industrial unrest during which ECDE teachers staged demonstrations demanding better pay, improved terms of service and permanent employment.
The county government expressed optimism that the deal would restore industrial harmony and allow teachers to concentrate on delivering quality early childhood education across Murang’a County.
