Fort Portal teachers strike over salary arrears
An empty class at one of the schools in Fort Portal Muncipality where teachers are on strike. URN photo
Teachers who serve is 17 primary schools in Fort Portal Municipality on Monday staged a strike to protest the failure by the government to clear their June and July salary arrears.
Mr Joseph Ruhweza, the Chairperson Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) Fort Portal Municipality branch, says the teachers decided to strike after failing to get sound reasons from the Municipality leaders why their salaries have not been paid.
Mr Ruhweza said much as the salary system is being upgrades, the process should not have affected the clearance of the June and July salaries because their counterparts in other municipalities in the country were paid.
Mr George Mwesige, a teacher at Kyebambe Model Primary School says they have patiently waited for the municipality to clear their salaries in vain, which has prompted them to strike.
Mr Moses Musinguzi, the deputy head teacher of St Peter and Paul Primary School, says it hurts to spend two months without pay.
He says it doesn't make sense when teachers decide to resolve the issue by laying down their tools.
Mr Richard Alituha, the Fort Portal Municipal Education Officer said the delayed payment is a nation-wide problem and shouldn't have led teachers to strike.
The head teacher of Kyebambe Model Primary School, Ms Olive Ruhweza said the strike has severely affected them. She said that all the 22 teachers on the government payroll did not show up for lessons on Monday.
