Nurses and midwives have petitioned Parliament to compel President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s government to increase their salaries in the 2022-23 Financial Year.
Government reportedly approved salary increments for health professionals beginning in the new financial year. (Read Story Here).
In reaction to this announcement, allied health professionals have threatened to go on strike (Read Story Here).
But the Ministry of Public Service assured health workers that all of them — including morgue attendants — would get salary increments starting July 2022 by sharing a Shs400bn budgetary allocation. (Read Story Here).
THE PETITION
The petition, which was filed through their umbrella body, the Federation of Uganda Nurses and Midwives, was read before Parliament on May 04.
Ruth Lematia (NRM – Maracha East County) presented the petition.
MP Lematia told the House presided over by deputy speaker Thomas Tayebwa that the nurses and midwives were not happy with the salary enhancement discrepancies in regard to the collective bargaining agreement and Presidential Directive for Financial Year 2022/23.
The legislator went on to say that the nurses and midwives feel marginalized as government prioritizes other health professionals.
“Majority of the health workers in the country are nurses standing at 70 per cent and they have over the years demonstrated tremendous effort in supporting the healthcare system at all levels,” said Lematia.
“We need the government to fulfill its commitment to enhance the nurses and midwife salaries for this financial year if possible and we need Parliament’s intervention.”
The nurses and midwives have now demanded the harmonization of salaries to weed out discrepancies compared to their counterparts in the health sector.
They also called for the fast-tracking of their re-designation, and regularization of their terms of services.
Nurses and midwives also say they are also tired of government job adverts which indicate that a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing is an added advantage for applicants.
Deputy speaker Tayebwa has referred the petition to the Committee on Public Service and Local Government for scrutiny before more action is taken.
MORE ON SALARY INCREMENT CIRCUS
TEACHERS’ ISSUES
The proposed salary enhancements are said to have left out science teachers in secondary schools, which implies that these might have to wait for subsequent financial years to get a pay raise. (Read Story Here).
Disappointed by government’s rumored decision not to increase their salaries, secondary school science teachers have threatened to go on strike starting with second term. (Read Story Here).
An MP belonging to the ruling NRM party has told teachers that they are too poor to afford to go on strike, and that they can easily be replaced if they decide to lay down their tools. (Read Story Here).
These science teachers are now begging to meet first lady and education minister Janet Museveni. (Read Story Here).
GOVERMENT POSITION
BACKGROUND
In order to improve service delivery and end the challenge of strikes over low pay, President Museveni’s government has proposed huge salary increments for teachers, doctors and other employees starting July 2022. (Read Story Here)
The proposed increments have left many people wondering if government will really fulfill this pledge and increase salaries by very high amounts.
For example, opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has argued that the promise of salary increment is just ‘another lie.’ (Read Story Here).
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija recently said the money for increasing teachers’, doctors’ and other civil servants’ salaries was available. (Read Story Here).
In August 2021, cabinet approved salary increment for teachers, doctors and other health workers. (Read Story Here).
See the salary structure that had been proposed for the current financial year here.
