Former UCU workers want Shs80b interest in savings

Former workers of Uganda Christian University (UCU) whose contracts were terminated in 2019 are demanding Shs80 billion from the university staff saving scheme which they claim has accumulated as interest.

According to some of the aggrieved staff, who preferred anonymity, the accumulated interest on their savings was supposed to be given to them upon termination of their contracts, which was not done.
“They [university] could have given us our interest at the time our contracts were terminated like they did on the savings, but the accumulated interest was not paid,” one of the former workers said on Tuesday.

Another complainant said they first petitioned the university on the matter last year, and the institution allegedly paid some random sum of money to only those who complained.
On January 20, a group of 20 former UCU staff, wrote to Mukono Municipality labour office drawing their attention to the matter.

“The above statements had discrepancies in the interest deposited to our accounts vis-à-vis what we were entitled to receive. ..,” the petition reads in part.
Mr Abubaker Wassajja, a senior labour officer at Mukono Municipal Council, confirmed he received a complaint from more than 130 former workers of UCU and he has already written to the University for an explanation.

Mr Frank Obonyo, the communications and marketing manager at UCU, declined to comment on the matter.  
According to the UCU trust deed and rules Part V of the saving scheme, a member is entitled to his/her benefits upon attaining retirement age, resignation, retiring on medical grounds or cessation or termination of his contract of employment.