Universities will not open for next semester- Lecturers
Close to 3000 academic staff from ten public universities across the country are warning of a looming strike the next academic semester which begins in if government fails to raise their salaries by July.
These are demanding full implementation of a presidential pledge that promised to raise their budget allocation to Shs.108.8 billion for their salaries, a pay that will raise professors’ salary to Shs15 million while the lowest teaching assistant will be at 4 million shillings.
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Dr Grace Lubaale the chairman of the Forum for Academic staff of Public Universities in Uganda (FAPSU) noted; “The universities will not open, we are expecting that in July the pay slip of a professor will be very handsome indicating 15 or 14 million and if it doesn’t indicate we’ll be home.”
“Universities, parents and governments are informed that in august the university will open and we’ll not be there,” he added.
Academic staff from universities including; Makerere, Mbarara, Kyambogo, Gulu, Busitema, Kabalae, Lira, Makerere Business school, Muni and Soroti demand that government allocate Sh. 108.8Bn for the financial year 2018/2019 as earlier pledged by government.
With such allocation, then ten university chairpersons led by Dr. Grace Lubaale note that with such allocation their salaries will be increased across the structure raising a professor’s salary to 15million from 8.5.
“A professor will get 15 million from 8.5, associate professor 13million, senior lecturer 11m, lecturer 9million, assistant lecturer 7m and a teaching assistant will earn 4million shillings.”
Though the students may suffer the greatest repercussion, the academic staff insists their performance will not yield as positive results even if they went to lecture rooms if their needs are not well attended to.
The forum for academic staff of public universities is relatedly writing to the state minister for finance and planning David Bahati demanding he act upon their promise. The ministry promised the academic staff 58 billion shillings to cover for salary arrears in past years and 50billiobn going forward.
