Leaders of secondary school science teachers are seeking answers on how Shs111bn which was meant for the enhancement of their salaries in the 2022-2023 Financial Year disappeared from the budget framework paper.
Government reportedly approved salary increments for health professionals beginning in the new financial year. (Read Story Here).
The proposed salary enhancements are said to have left out science teachers in secondary schools, which implies that these might have to wait for subsequent financial years to get a pay raise. (Read Story Here).
Disappointed by government’s rumored decision not to increase their salaries, secondary school science teachers have threatened to go on strike starting with second term. (Read Story Here).
An MP belonging to the ruling NRM party has told teachers that they are too poor to afford to go on strike, and that they can easily be replaced if they decide to lay down their tools. (Read Story Here).
These science teachers are now begging to meet first lady and education minister Janet Museveni. (Read Story Here).
Across the country, members of the Uganda Professional Science Teachers Unions (UPSTU) have continued to announce that they will join the strike.
For example on April 30, UPSTU West Nile Coordinator Paulino Jacinto Angutoko and other regional leaders told reporters that all science teachers in the sub-region will join the strike expected to begin next week.
On April 21, 2022, the UPSTU National Executive Council passed a resolution declaring a strike starting second term which begins in a few days.
Cabinet had promised to increase salaries of graduate science teachers to Shs4m per month starting in July 2022.
But the teachers say that while Shs111bn had been included in the budget framework paper as part of Shs400bn for the enhancement of salaries of scientists, the allocation has reportedly ‘disappeared’ from the budget framework paper.
They say this is not the first time the proposed allocations meant for enhancement of their salaries are disappearing from the budget or diverted for increment of other government employees’ salaries.
That in the 2018-19 Financial Year, government had set aside Shs98bn for them but the money was used to enhance other scientists’ salaries.
Recently, Public Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Catherine Bitarakwate said Shs400bn would be spent on increasing salaries for all health workers — including morgue attendants — starting July 2022. (Read Story Here).
MORE ON SALARY INCREMENT CIRCUS
In order to improve service delivery and end the challenge of strikes over low pay, President Museveni’s government has proposed huge salary increments for teachers, doctors and other employees starting July 2022. (Read Story Here)
The proposed increments have left many people wondering if government will really fulfill this pledge and increase salaries by very high amounts.
For example, opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has argued that the promise of salary increment is just ‘another lie.’ (Read Story Here).
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija recently said the money for increasing teachers’, doctors’ and other civil servants’ salaries was available. (Read Story Here).
In August 2021, cabinet approved salary increment for teachers, doctors and other health workers. (Read Story Here).
See the salary structure that had been proposed for the current financial year here.
