The Academic staffs at Makerere University Business School-Mubs, Nakawa have announced the start of a strike following the unsuccessful attempts by public universities to secure salary enhancement arrears from the government.
Albert Miwanda, the chairperson of the Mubs Academic Staff Association – MUBASA announced the position to the School Principal, Prof. Wasswa Balunywa, in a letter authored and submitted on January 7.
The strike is part of the collective action by the Forum for Academic Staff of the Public Universities in Uganda to demand outstanding salary enhancements balance of Shs29.5 billion carried forward from the Financial Year 2017/2018.
The staff members contend that in April 2017, State Minister for Finance David Bahati committed to a payment of Shs58 billion in the 2017/2018 Financial year in partial fulfillment of the presidential promise of Shs15 million salaries for each professor by 2019/2020.
But During the budgetary process for the financial year 2018/2019, the government budgeted for only Shs29.5 billion which has not been paid.
Last year, staff from nine public universities during a joint strategic meeting among members held at Makerere University declared an indefinite, comprehensive nationwide strike effective 2019, if the payments remained pending.
Miwanda says that the MUBS lecturers have decided to join the strike after unyielding results from correspondences between the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Education to have the balance paid out.
“Based on that, the Forum for Academic Staff of Public Universities in Uganda – FASPU and Public Universities Non-Teaching Staff Executive Forum – PUNTSEF resolved that unless the money is paid, all staff in public universities will not their labour effective January 19, 2019,” Miwanda said.
He added that being a signatory to FASPU-PUNTSEF and having resolved to lay down tools if the government doesn’t honor its commitment, MUBS staff are bound by the resolution to withdraw their services from the university.
By implication, staff from Makerere, Gulu, Lira, Muni, Kabale, Kyambogo, Soroti, Busitema and Makerere University Business School – MUBS and Mbarara University of Science and Technology – MUST are expected to laydown tools in case government doesn’t yield to their demands.
Catherine Bitarakwate, the Ministry of Public Service Permanent Secretary today told URN that they are waiting for the Ministry of Finance to release funds in order for them to issue a salary structure.
ART. by URN
