he Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) has called off industrial action after reaching a temporary understanding with Parliament.
The union has given the legislators two weeks to address long-standing salary disparities between science and arts teachers.
The strike, which began last month, was sparked by the government’s decision to raise salaries for science teachers while leaving out their colleagues in the arts and humanities — a move the union said was discriminatory and divisive within the education sector.
For more than four weeks, Unatu leaders engaged in a series of negotiations with government officials, including a recent meeting with Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among.
The Speaker directed the Education and Public Service Committees to investigate the matter and report back within two weeks.
During a press conference held Thursday afternoon at the UNATU headquarters in Kampala, General Secretary Filbert Baguma announced the decision to suspend the strike and urged teachers to resume work as Parliament deliberates on their concerns.
“Teachers are patriotic citizens who have always chosen dialogue over confrontation,” Baguma said.
“We are calling upon all teachers to return to their duty stations as we await the outcome of Parliament’s deliberations. However, we shall not hesitate to take further action if no tangible progress is made.”
The announcement drew mixed reactions among teachers, with some expressing reluctance to return to classrooms before any concrete commitments are made.
“We have heard promises before that never materialized,” one teacher said after the meeting.
“This time, we want to see action, not words.”
The press conference was attended by Members of Parliament representing workers, including Charles Bakabulindi, Agnes Kunihira, and Arinaitwe Rwakajara, who commended the teachers for choosing dialogue.
They urged the government to treat the issue with urgency to prevent further disruptions in the education sector.
Unatu emphasized that the strike was being suspended—not fully ended—as a sign of goodwill toward ongoing parliamentary engagement.
The union said it would continue to monitor progress and reconvene if the government and Parliament fail to take meaningful steps within the agreed period.
“Suspension of the industrial action does not mean surrender,” Baguma stressed.
“We are simply giving the authorities time to act in good faith.”
The suspension brings temporary relief to thousands of learners across the country who had been left stranded for over a month as teachers stayed away from classrooms.
