Mountains of the Moon University lecturers call off strike

Striking Mountains of the Moon University (MMU) lecturers have called off their strike and resolved to resume operations on Wednesday following Monday’s Governing Council sitting.

The university staff went on strike in August and petitioned the Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof John Kasenene, demanding to know when the government will take over the university to become public.

Addressing journalists at the University premises in Fort Portal City, the institution’s governing council chairman, Hon Tom Butiime said: “Today (Monday) we came for a meeting and we reached a decision that staff at the university call off their industrial action. The students must continue studying and all their demands will be addressed.”

At the time lecturers at the university went on strike, students were studying online and they were about to start exams but they were suspended.

Parliament September 7 passed a resolution on MMU becoming the 10th public university in Uganda.

Mr Peter Baranga, the chairperson of academic staff association said the resolution passed by the university governing council will be complied with.

“Today we have sat and resolved that the industrial action of staff members comes to an end; I am going to take resolution to my fellow staff,” he noted.

According to Mr Baranga the strike was also conditioned by salary grievances but they have since ‘‘received a commitment letter from the Ministry of Education and Sports Permanent Secretary indicating that salary arrears will be paid by government.’’

University VC Prof Kasenene said the salary arrears accumulated during the Covid-19 lockdown from July 2020 to March 2021.

“Government will pay all the arrears of about Shs1.2 b,” he said.

However, Prof Kasenene said the university will get some resources from its reserves and pay all staff for salaries of last month.

Validation

Dr Edmond Kagambe, a member of the transition taskforce said the ministry of public service completed the validation exercise of lecturers and the report will be presented to the new university council for consideration.

He said the public service ministry has also ‘‘approved 521 staff structures and currently 221 positions have been filled and 300 positions are still vacant.’’

MMU authorities say government will fully sponsor 100 students once the university is gazetted as a public university and they (MMU) will have a new faculty of Science Technology and Innovation