Makerere University staff who worked during the COVID-19 lockdown have shown their dissatisfaction about the delayed payment of their allowances.
The affected staff members insist that they risked their lives and spent a lot of money on transport to go for work and it will be unfair if they are not paid.
According to Mr. Stephen Kalema, the deputy chairperson of Makerere University Administrative Staff Association, a number of workers especially the non-teaching staff, have been working even when the university was closed.
“There are people who made requisitions and they got their money but there are some who did not get anything, especially those in colleges. I was shocked by the letter written by the university secretary saying they are going to be stringent with money and yet they called the staff and promised to pay them,” Mr. Kalema said.
The staff cited the letter dated 20th August 2020 from Mr. Yusuf Kiranda the acting university secretary, in which he wrote to all staff stating that the university is faced with financial constraints and therefore, does not have money to address the claims.
“The office of the university bursar has indicated that there are continuous claims from staff for payment of allowances for having worked during COVID-19 lockdown. This is to inform you that the university is faced with limitations in cash releasing and has been required to be frugal on expenditure. As a result, several consumptive items, including claims for allowance-related working during the Covid-19 lockdown cannot be honored,” the letter reads.
However, Mr Kiranda said the university would hold a meeting this week and discuss how to handle the situation.
