SHOCKING: Science Teachers ‘Fired’ for Joining Strike Over Salaries

A secondary school headteacher has reportedly ‘fired’ science teachers who joined a strike demanding for salary increment. 

On May 09, 2022, science teachers, the Uganda Professional Science Teachers’ Union (UPSTU), started their industrial action to push government to increase their salaries to Shs4m for a graduate teacher and Shs3m for a diploma holder every month.

About 10 days later, UPSTU leaders called off the strike after receiving a commitment letter from Wilson Muruli Mukasa’s Ministry of Public Service.

With the commitment letter in the hands of the UPSTU executive, the union’s leaders lead by national chairperson Vincent Elong joined officials from First Lady Janet Museveni’s Ministry of Education and Sports to announce the suspension of their strike.

Elong and his colleagues also called on their colleagues to go back to class beginning May 19. But the UPSTU boss now says that some headteachers have ‘fired’ science teachers for going on strike. He cited an example of Soroti SS where the headteacher blocked teachers for having gone on strike.

He has now called on Minister Ms Museveni to rein in the headteacher so that the science teachers can be allowed to return to their jobs.

“We are calling upon the Minister of Education to intervene in the issue at Soroti S.S, where the Headteacher has refused science teachers to return to class as a way of punishing them for striking,” Elong revealed on May 23 morning while appearing on a local TV show.

MORE ON SCIENCE TEACHERS STRIKE

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SALARY INCREMENT CIRCUS: Science Teachers End Strike With NO DEAL But a Letter & Promises

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).

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SALARY INCREMENT CIRCUS: Museveni Cabinet Yet to Allow Public Service to Release New Salary Structure

WHERE DID THE MONEY GO? Shs110 Billion Initially Set Aside to Increase Science Teachers’ Salaries but Money Reportedly ‘Disappeared’