UNATU to continue with teachers’ strike after Museveni meeting fails to solve impasse
Teachers under their umbrella, the Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU), have announced they will continue with their sit down strike over what they describe as discriminatory, the proposed salary enhancement for their science colleagues.
Earlier this month, UNATU announced a sit down strike over the increment of salaries for only science teachers by government leaving out their arts colleagues.
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On Saturday, the teachers’ umbrella body met with government officials led by President Museveni over the matter.
In a statement released on Saturday, the UNATU General Secretary, Filbert Baguma said they met the president in the presence of selected cabinet minister and senior government officials to discuss the issue of the salary discrepancies.
“UNATU clearly presented to the president the position of the teachers who are currently on industrial action over discriminatory salary enhancements which breach the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement signed with government in 2018,”Baguma said.
He noted that in response, government said it was not fully aware of the consequences of increasing salaries for one category of teachers to a tune of over 300% against nothing for all the other categories of teachers.
Baguma noted that the matter has now been handed to the Ministry of Public Service and Ministry of Finance to review the proposed pay plan to ensure the discrepancy is harmonized.
“This therefore serves to inform the members of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union and the general public that the industrial action continues as we await the outcome of the review process,”Baguma said.
He however noted that resumption of duty will depend on how fast the ministers of Public Service and Finance conclude the review process and whether the process is satisfactory and addresses the issue of fair salary enhancement across the board.
Government earlier this year approved Shs735 billion plan to enhance salaries for scientists, including science teachers.
The enhancement will see science teachers who are diploma holders in government institutions of learning earn shs3 million from between shs700,000 and shs900,000.
On the other side, science teachers who are degree holders would earn shs4 million from between shs1 million and shs1.4 million they are currently earning.
This planned salary enhancement for only science teachers has seen the teachers’ umbrella body protest the proposed salary discrepancies that they say are not fair to the arts teachers.
