Govt, teachers fail to agree on salary rise

The First Deputy Prime Minister Henry Kajura addresses journalists after meeting teachers representatives in Kampala yesterday over their pay rise. Photo by RACHEL MABALA

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Deadlock. Public Service minister says government will make further consultations with the Cabinet as teachers say they will stay home

Kampala.

A meeting convened yesterday to resolve a teachers’ strike, which has paralysed classes countrywide, especially in public primary schools, ended without agreement.

The meeting, chaired by the First Deputy premier and Public Service minister Henry Kajura, was a follow-up to that of Monday in which Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) leadership proposed to bring its district chairpersons together so that government explains to them their position on the teachers’ salary increment.

In yesterday’s meeting, government stuck to its earlier position of increasing the teachers’ salaries in the 2016/2017 financial year but proposed to Unatu a 2 per cent adjustment to 12 per cent, which the teachers vehemently refused to take.

The teachers proposed that government either pays them the 10 per cent increment as promised or settle their new demands, which includes giving them a 5 per cent increment in the coming financial year (2015/2016) to cater for inflation and 15 per cent in the financial year 2016/2017.

“We (Unatu) softened a bit and requested government to pay five per cent in the coming financial year to cover for inflation and in the 2016/2017 financial year, government looks for 15 per cent because of the depreciation of the Shilling,” Mr Filbert Baguma, the Unatu labour relations officer, said.

Mr Baguma said when they last negotiated, the exchange rate of the Shilling to the dollar was low compared to what it is now.

At this point, both parties failed to agree and resolved to do further consultations. Unatu leadership maintained that their industrial action was on until an agreement is reached with government.

“The status quo (strike) remains and every teacher is expected to remain at home as we wait for government decision,” Mr Baguma said.

More talks
Government said the matter would be referred to other relevant authorities.
“We have had a useful meeting and exchanged useful ideas but it was not possible to reach an acceptable position. This matter is going to be referred to the relevant authorities like Cabinet for further consultations,” Mr Kajura said.

Both Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and Education minister Jessica Alupo who called the Monday meeting did not attend.

Teachers representatives also claimed state agents were intimidating them but Mr Baguma asked the teachers to remain at home to avert the intimidation.

Additional reporting by Nelson Wesonga & Yasiin Mugerwa

mps demand solution

Legislators yesterday accused government of not caring about the plight of pupils and students who are now unattended to following a strike by teachers.

The MPs said if government was concerned, it would have addressed the teachers’ salary grievances before schools re-opened on Monday, for the second term.

“Teachers gave notice about the strike before schools closed for holidays. Government ought to be serious. It is the children from poor households who suffer most. You and I can take our children to private schools,” Mr Stephen Kasaija Kagwera, the MP of Burahya County, said during plenary.

The accusation came on the heels of government Chief Whip, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa’s request for more time for the government to “continue negotiating” with the teachers on how to end the strike.

Mr Geoffrey Ekanya, the Tororo County MP, had asked her to tell the House what the government is doing to end the strike.

Workers’ MP Teopista Ssenabulya advised government to make re-allocations from the wasteful expenditures from Education and Public Service ministries to find money for the teachers’ pay rise.

“Let government cut on budgets for trips abroad, workshops and seminars to avail teachers’ money,” she said.

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