Nawangwe open to talks with Mak suspended staff
Makerere University Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe (2nd left) embraces Dr Deus Kamunyu, the Muasa chairperson, during a meeting on Monday. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
Kampala- The Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, yesterday agreed to dialogue with the striking staff, who laid down their tools three weeks ago, to persuade them to resume work.
Prof Nawangwe was appearing before the general assembly which was called by the executives of the staff associations on the university to update their colleagues on the efforts they have made with management regarding their demands and forge a way forward.
Prof Nawangwe asked the staff to return to work as management handles their grievances.
“We have agreed today that we begin a new chapter of mutual respect. We have also agreed that there are issues that we need to discuss and discussions will continue and I want to thank [Dr Deus] Kamunyu [Makerere University Academic Staff Association chairperson (Muasa)], for accepting to interact with the committee. I have encouraged him to be frank and tell the committee where things went wrong,” Prof Nawangwe said.
“I pledge that we need to lead by example. The country and the continent looks at us, so I affirm that we as management have committed to begin a new chapter and the dialogue to create total harmony and mutual respect so that our university can rise higher,” he added.
Prof Nawangwe, who has on several occasion denied meeting the striking staff over grounds that their assembly which led to the demonstration was illegal, the case was different this time as he acknowledged that some staff were not in class over the strike.
The strike followed the suspension Dr Kamunyu, Mr Bennet Magara, the chairperson of Makerere Administrative Staff Association (MASA), and his general secretary, Mr Joseph Kalema, for alleged indiscipline and inciting fellow staff.
The staff maintained their strike, insisting that management should first uplift the suspension of the three leaders before they call off the strike and allow negotiations on other demands to prevail.
The staff also want the university to allow Ms Ruth Eteu to represent MASA on the University Council.
The Muasa vice chairperson, Dr Edward Mwavu, said they have given the university up to Thursday to pronounce themselves on the two demands the staff are asking for before they call off the strike. The staff have called for another general assembly to forge a way forward.
“We have zeroed down to two demands we want the university to address before we call off the strike. If the university lifts the suspension of our leaders and allow Ms Eteu to represent us on council, we shall call off the strike and allow negotiation to continue on other demands,” Dr Mwavu said.
