Through their lawyers Kesiime and Company Advocates, about 203 academic staff members from Makerere University Business School (MUBS) have given their management up to 15 days to pay their salary arrears.
The staff are reportedly demanding the university 57.5 billion shillings which accumulated as a result of “imposing them on a wrong salary scale.”
According to documents currently being held by their lawyers, the staff have had several meetings on the same issue with the university management through the Makerere University Business Academic Staff Association (MUBASA), but nothing positive has come out yet.
The disgruntled staff have further said that none of the management’s promises have been implemented, something they think is unfair to them. In their argument, the MUBS management has been running two parallel salary payrolls one paid by government and another paid by the institution.
The parallel salary payrolls have reportedly caused differences that have led to discontentment among staff. For instance, a lecturer at MUBS earns 6.8 million on government payroll while others on the same rank receives Shs 3 million (on MUBS payroll).
Professor Waswa Balunywa, the university’s Principal is now being accused of failing to technically guide the University Council on the issue both as the institute’s head as well as an accounting officer.
“That the first intended defendant (Professor Waswa Balunywa) is supposed to oversee payments of our clients’ salaries and ensure that every employee gets what is due to him or her, a job he has failed, neglected or intentionally refused to do,” The staff lawyers claim.
According to Brian Muyomba, the MUBS academic staff chairperson, some of the staff who have worked for a period of 10 years and more have experienced this salary difference.
“It is also unjust that have conflicted out clients with a big financial inequality causing the injustice perpetuated by your administration emanating therefrom,” his lawyers say.
Following these complaints, the MUBS management is expected to clear the staff arrears within 15days or face court.
