Teachers under the umbrella association Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) have said they will resume industurial action countrywide starting on 15th June 2022 if government doesnt provide satisfactory feedback in relation to disparities in salaries for teachers.
According to UNATU General Secretary, Filbert Baguma, the teachers’ strike is a follow up on four-year committments made by government in regard to uniform salaries for teachers across the board, which they say have been totally ignored despite reminders.
The teachers are protesting a plan by government to enhance salaries for a section of civil servants including secondary school Science teachers to at-least UGX.4million (Degree holders) and UGX.3million (Diploma holders) starting July 2022 which they say is discriminatory.
“It is important to note that our Industrial Action that started in 2019 over the same issue was only suspended pending the full implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. It is unfortunate that the teachers’ issues particularly those concerning salary increment have turned into a ‘song’. Almost every Financial Year, teachers have to remind Government about the commitments earlier made. Do teachers really matter to this nation?” the statement issued by UNATU on Saturday reads in part.
“The public should therefore be aware that effective 15th June, 2022, teachers will not be present in the classrooms until Government honours the salary commitments made to them” UNATU General Secretary Filbert Baguma said in a statement issued today.
It should be noted that seconday school teachers under a splinter group Uganda Professional Science Teachers Union (UPSTU) refused to go to class at the beggining of second term in May over what they called discrimination after government sidelined them from the plan to increase salaries for all scientists. After several engagements, government assured them that UGX.97BN had been allocated in the budget to meet their request. The Science teachers later suspended their strike to 13th June 2022.
In a tweet posted today, UPSTU General Secretary Aron Mugaiga said the union Executive Committee had resolved to further extend the suspenssion to 12th September 2022 after securing an assurance from government in regard to their demand for UGX.4million and UGX.3million respectively.
The announcement of teachers’ strike comes amid public agitation after Government allocated UGX.193BN in the budget for the next financial year to cater for an increase of Members of parliament. The teachers state that they strongly believe that if money can be found for increasing allowances of Members of Parliament citing rising costs of living and inflation, the same can be done for teachers in whose hands lies the burden of delivering quality education.
UNATU notes that the strikes will continue as planned until government agrees to implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement without discrimination. They question why some categories of civil servants are already earning salaries from the same agreement but the practice changes when it comes to teachers.
In the next financial year, government has also promised and allocated funds to cater for increment of civil servants including teachers as follows;
1. Principal Comprehensive schools/NTC, UCC UI-SE 12,200,000/
2. Principal PTC, Tech schs/ Deputy Principal NTC, UCC U1-E 10,000,000/
3. Head Teacher (Secondary) U1-E 10,000,000/
4. Deputy Head Teacher (Secondary) U2 7,400,000/
5. Science Teachers at Principal Level U2 SC 7,800,000/
6. Science Teachers at Senior level U3 SC 6,000,000/
7. Arts teachers U3 5,400,000/
8. Science Teachers at Graduate level U4 SC 4,800,000/
9. U4 Arts Teacher U4 4,500,000/
10. Science teachers at Diploma level U5-SC 3,000,000/
11. U5 Arts teacher U5 2,700,000/
12. Head Teacher (Primary) U4 4,500,000/
13. Deputy Head Teacher (Primary) U5 2,700,000/
14. Senior Education Assistant U6 1,600,00/
15. Education Assistant U7 1,350,000
16. Non-Formal Education teachers (Trial terms) U8 500,000.
