Uganda’s President Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni recently told striking secondary school arts teachers that he was committed to ensuring that the gap between the monthly salary of a science teacher and that of humanities teacher is closed.
Last weekend, Museveni and his wife Janet Kataaha Kainembabazi Museveni met striking secondary school arts teachers and their primary school counterparts, under their umbrella body of Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu), over their strike in which they are protesting salary increment disparities between them and their science counterparts.
In his budget speech read on June 14, a day before arts teachers and primary school teachers began their industrial action, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija announced that government will increase science teachers’ salaries starting July 2022.
While science teachers successfully convinced government that they are scientists and should have their salaries increased to the level of other scientists like medical officers, arts teachers insist there is no magic about teaching sciences.
But in the meeting with Unatu, Museveni, his wife Janet (who is the minister of education and sports), and officials from the ministry of public service failed to convince arts teachers to return to class.
Government officials promised to increase striking teachers’ salaries in subsequent financial years, insisting that science teachers were more critical for national development and have thus been prioritized.
According to education ministry spokesperson Denis Mugimba, Museveni assured the arts teachers that he had no problem with closing the gap between science teachers’ salaries and what will be earned by their arts counterparts.
Museveni suggested that as and when resources become available, an arts teacher should be paid between Shs3m and 3.5m.
“Government wills to reduce pay disparity among teachers. When meeting Unatu leaders on 18/06/2022, President Museveni said that if a Science teacher gets Shs 4m, Arts can perhaps be Shs 3.0-3.5m,” revealed Dr Mugimba.
But after failing to convince the striking teachers to call off their industrial action, Museveni’s government through Public Service Ministry Permanent Secretary Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire, resorted to threatening teachers to either return to class or be fired.
But secondary school arts and primary level teachers under Unatu have fired back at President Museveni’s government, making it clear that threats of being fired will not force them to end their strike. (Read Story Here).
A group of MPs have also openly supported the arts teachers’ strike and told Museveni’s government to present a supplementary budget to Parliament with the aim of increasing salaries. (Read Story Here).
Relatedly, more government employees’ unions have threatened to lay down their tools in solidarity with striking teachers if government fires them, meaning that there could some sort of national shutdown. (Read Story Here).
BACKGROUND
In his budget speech read on Tuesday, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija announced that the salaries of science teachers, scientists and health workers will be increased in a ‘very big’ way starting July 2022. (Read Story Here).
MORE ON TEACHERS’ SALARY INCREMENT
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.
UPDATED LIST: See Salary Structure for All Government Workers
Meanwhile, an NRM MP has angered teachers after telling them they are too poor to go on strike. (Read Story Here).
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