Teachers to resume strike

Ultimatum. They give government two weeks to meet their demands and they are planning to involve politicians, religious leaders and the civil society.

The first term of schools’ opening could be in jeopardy after teachers under their umbrella organisation, Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu), resolved to resume their strike within two weeks unless the dispute over their salary increment is settled by government.

In a closed-door meeting held in Kampala a fortnight ago, the Union leadership accepted to join hands with other leaders as the New Year begins to force the government to meet their demands before the new school term opens on January 30, 2012.

According to Mr Musa Kigada, the Busoga region UNATU boss, they have re-planned their industrial action and are going to involve business people, politicians, religious leaders and parents. The campaign will be launched on January 19.

“Government doesn’t take us seriously but we are launching a campaign using all stakeholders in education,” Mr Kigada said. “There is no reason of opening schools in January when we know there won’t be teaching. We were overlooked in the October budget review as it had been agreed upon during the negotiation process.”

Teachers are currently pushing for a 100 per cent pay rise. Union officials called off the first strike in July pending negotiations with government, which have since flopped.

Education ministry spokesperson Aggrey Kibenge said resuming the strike is unnecessary since negotiations are underway to address teachers’ concerns.

“We appreciate their concern but I don’t think it is helpful for them to stage another strike. They should give negotiations a chance because the process has already started,” he said by telephone yesterday.

According to Mr Kibenge, government agreed with teachers’ leaders in their recent negotiations to increase primary teachers’ salaries to Sh360,000 from the current Shs273,000 starting next financial year. He said it will also add an increment of 20 per cent in 2013/14 fiscal year and another 15 per cent in 2014/15 financial year – making it 50 per cent, which still falls short of the 100 per cent increment demand.

Teachers constitute the biggest number of government workers, forming 68 per cent of the total number of civil servants. A primary school teacher earns Shs270,000 monthly, placing them among the lowest earning civil servants in the country.

The government, on the other hand, insists there is no money for salary increase this financial year and in September threatened disciplinary actions against teachers who participate in strikes. Teachers were forced back into classrooms.

Government maintains stance
Parliament in September unsuccessfully pushed government to increase teachers’ salaries by 50 per cent this financial year and another half in the next two years.

The government, however, said in November that it is committed to addressing the concerns over inadequate remunerations for all public servants within the available resources and taking into account the service delivery requirements.

“A commitment has already been made to gradually increase teacher’s salaries by 15 per cent, 20 per cent and 15 per cent in financial years 2012/13,” Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi told teachers at education sector review meeting in November.

“2013/14 and 2014/15 respectively. There will also be special incentives such as payment of allowances to science teachers and teachers in hard-to-reach areas,” he added then.

In neighbouring Kenya, teachers’ salaries were increased by 20 per cent after the September strike, bringing the lowest paid teacher to KShs13,700 (about Shs369,900) per month minus allowances, while in Tanzania, a teacher gets about Shs600,000 a month.