SALARY INCREMENT PUSH: Janet Museveni’s Education Ministry Finally Responds to Striking Science Teachers

First lady Janet Museveni’s Ministry of Education and Sports has responded to striking Ugandan secondary school science teachers who began their strike over salary increment on May 09, the day that the second term of the school calendar started. 

Science teachers under Uganda Professional Science Teachers’ Union (UPSTU) have vowed not to step in class until government has included money to increase their salaries starting July 2022 when the new financial year (2022-2023) begins.

According to Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) Secretary General Filbert Baguma, the strike by science teachers under Uganda Professional Science Teachers’ Union (UPSTU) is justified.

“The government violated the collective bargaining agreement and came up with a pronouncement. The teachers were waiting to get this pronounced into action. That is why you see they are not going to teach,” Baguma told NBS Morning Breeze.

But Education Ministry Spokesperson Dr Dennis Mugimba defended government, saying there are some assumptions that acted as the basis of the promises for salary increment. Dr Mugimba said teachers are not aware of these assumptions, which have not turned favorable for enhancement of salaries.

“We promised a pay rise on some assumptions. These were not made known to the teachers, though. We are not in a fix as a government because we can work this out using baby steps,” he said.

Dr Mugimba also called for patience, telling striking science teachers that government will increase their salaries in a phased manner, depending on availability of funds. For now, according to the Ministry’s Spokesperson, the economy is not doing well, making salary increments an unsustainable move.

“A salary increment is not too much to ask. It’s how we go ahead in implementing it. We are working towards the increment, but all we are asking for is patience because of the economic times we are in now as a country,” he appealed.

Science teachers insist that at least Shs110bn that was initially meant for their salary increment starting July 2022 ‘disappeared’ from the budget framework paper. (Read Story Here).

The Ministry of Public Service Permanent Secretary Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire recently ‘assured’ health workers that all of them — including morgue attendants — will get salary increments by sharing a Shs400bn budgetary allocation starting July 2022. (Read Story Here).

MORE ON SALARY INCREMENT CIRCUS

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.

UPDATED LIST: See Salary Structure for All Government Workers

Meanwhile, an NRM MP has angered teachers after telling them they are too poor to go on strike. (Read Story Here).