Teachers-government talks fail, fresh meeting set today
Selection. Teachers participate in Advanced Level selection process in Kampala early this year. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA
What you need to know:
- At Ministry of Education, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Alex Kakooza, said their eyes were set on their counterparts in Public Service for a solution and assured the teachers that they would reach a consensus in a scheduled meeting. He, however, added that he had not been involved in the initial negotiations.
Kampala. A meeting which was expected to take place yesterday between government and striking teachers did not take place as the latter had not been invited.
Mr Filbert Baguma, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) general secretary, told Daily Monitor that they had not received any communication from government following their industrial action they announced on Monday.
“Our strike is on. We have received nothing from government and they will shoulder the consequences,” Mr Baguma said.
Public Service Ministry top management was yesterday locked up in internal meetings to draft a document they would share with other stakeholders, according to sources who declined to be named because they are not authorised to speak to press.
However, the State Minister for Public Service, Mr David Karubanga, declined to comment insisting they would hold a media conference on the matter today.
“I don’t want to talk to the media. We will invite you for the press conference tomorrow (today) at Media Centre,” Mr Karubanga said.
At Ministry of Education, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Alex Kakooza, said their eyes were set on their counterparts in Public Service for a solution and assured the teachers that they would reach a consensus in a scheduled meeting. He, however, added that he had not been involved in the initial negotiations.
He said officials from ministries of Gender and Labour, Education, Finance, Public Service, Unatu and Prime Minister’s office will attend the meeting scheduled.
“I have talked to Public Service State Minister David Karubanga. They are working around the clock and we will eventually agree. He said they are writing a letter to Unatu. We will have a meeting tomorrow with them and together we will have a solution. Like I have told you before, we had not been part of the initial negotiations,” Mr Kakooza said.
