As university students sit for their end of semester examinations, hopes of resuming studies next semester, that commences in January, seem to be bleak as the teaching staff of public universities on Monday, December 3, unanimously decided to lay down their tools.
In a letter sent to the Minister of Education, Ms Janet Museveni, the Forum for Academic Staff for Public Universities in Uganda (FASPU) and Public Universities Non-Teaching Staff Executive Forum (PUNTSEF) clearly made known their intentions to lay down their tools if government does not clear their outstanding arrears that total up to shs30bn.
The letter that was titled; “Withdraw of labour in public universities” was written to remind the Minister of Education failure on the side of Ministry of Finance to clear the said outstanding arrears.
The two bodies highlighted that they were in “several occasions convinced by minsters” that the outstanding arrears would be cleared in the financial year 2018/2019. They have now given government until end of this year to fulfill its promises lest they will not step in lecture rooms next semester.
In a joint meeting held today at Makerere University, “members unanimously resolves to withdraw their labour in public universities effective semester two of the academic year 2018/2019 in case we do not receive money by January 2019.”
The affected public universities include; Makerere, Kyambogo, Gulu, Busitema, Soroti, Lira and MUST.
