"Gov't should fulfil its promises to arts teachers,” UNATU maintains

The Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) has maintained that government should fulfil its promise to arts teachers, if it wants them to end to their on-going industrial action.

Appearing on the NBS Morning Breeze, Filbert Baguma who is the General Secretary at UNATU said that government is responsible for the current stampede, as they have not been honest.

“We are not holding government at ransom., it is the government causing all this. There is an agreement expiring next year that the government has not fulfilled. What do you want the teachers to do?,” Baguma asked.

Baguma said that teachers gave a notification to the Ministry of Education before going on strike, but they did not respond.

The UNATU general secretary said that the demands of the arts teachers date from way back, and government is not being considerate by asking them yo wait longer.

“Government should pay what it promised to the teachers. Demanding for what is due to all the teachers does not mean that you are being jealous,” he added.

Education Ministry spokesperson Dennis Mugimba said that they feel that UNATU does not understand government's strategic approach of first dealing with the science teachers and then later the non-science teachers.

“There's always a window for negotiation. The majority of learners in primary schools are affected by this decision by UNATU,” Mugimba said.

“The position of UNATU doesn't show a positive approach that the government is taking,” he added.

Mugimba added that when you spread little resources, everyone gets almost nothing and this is why government is taking it sector by sector.

“The position of the Ministry of Education is that let us support the government in its pursuit to first work on the science teachers and then work on the issues of the arts teachers,” he said.

On Sunday, President Museveni asked teachers in the country to call off their industrial action as government is committed to give civil servants good remuneration.

In a meeting he held with officials from UNATU, Museveni said that teachers should return to work immediately.

“In principle, we shall pay everybody well but as of now, let us concentrate on one aspect. Don’t tell me about this industrial action. Go and work! Our aim is to pay civil servants well,” he said.