Makerere University staff threaten strike over salary harmonisation

Staff at Makerere University have renewed their threat to withdraw labour if salary harmonisation issues are not addressed by the end of September.

The staff, under the Joint Staff Association Executives, which includes the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), the Makerere University Administrative Staff Association (MASA), and the National Union of Education Institutions (NUEI) Makerere University Branch, have expressed frustration over delays in salary harmonisation.

In a meeting held on September 6, 2024, the Joint Staff Association executives reviewed the progress of implementing the salary harmonization resolutions passed in previous assemblies.

The associations had earlier communicated to the Ministry of Public Service their need for an additional Shs 12.6 billion to address wage discrepancies among staff.

Despite the Ministry of Public Service allocating the required funds in April, staff members at Makerere University have yet to receive harmonised salaries.

The staff associations have repeatedly warned of withdrawing their labour if these funds are not used to address wage disparities, with the latest threat looming over an October 1, 2024 deadline.

According to the statement, although staff in other public universities have already received their harmonised salaries, Makerere staff have not received confirmation letters, raising doubts about the university's commitment to resolving the issue.

Additionally, efforts to obtain a formula for compensating staff who will be retrenched as part of the harmonisation process have been fruitless, further fueling anxiety among the university's workforce.

"If harmonized salaries, including arrears, are not paid by the end of September, and the retrenchment formula is not provided, we will hold a General Assembly on October 1 to discuss the resumption of our industrial action," the Joint Staff Association warned in their letter.

This is not the first time Makerere staff have threatened to strike over the issue.

Previous deadlines were set in August 2023, January 2024, and April 2024, but each time the industrial action was suspended after management promised to address the matter.

The looming strike could disrupt the university's operations, including academic activities in the upcoming semester. The Joint Staff Association has called on the university management to fulfill its commitments to avoid a labour strike.

Makerere University management has yet to respond to this latest resolution from its staff.

The university is expected to release the harmonised salaries by the end of this month, but staff members remain skeptical due to past delays.

The government and the university council have been urged to act swiftly to avoid the withdrawal of labour, which could have significant implications for the academic calendar and the university's reputation.