EB Wangubo
“Good things come to those who wait,” goes some old wisdom. To many freshers, their academic life comes down to joining university. For those with prison-tight curfew at home, they can smell the freedom that looms when they join that university of admission. Shopping lists have been made, hostels booked, everything is in place for the journey that lies ahead. For many it is their life’s dream and nothing tops the feeling of being at that dream university. However, this journey has not been all rosy for those admitted to public universities. Freshers have had to wait, rather nail bitingly for the universities to open.
Desperation is slowly creeping in for freshers who wish to join Mak, Kyambogo, MUST or Busitema. They have had to grapple with the reality of an extended vacation because the Non-teaching staff at those universities is involved in a game of hardball with the government. They need a salary increment on scale with the increment the academic staff received. So, just how bad is the strike? Who holds the key to the freshers realizing their dream of joining the University of their Choice, ASAP?
“Those guys (non-teaching staff) are disrupting our plans to join university, why don’t they fire them and hire new people,” James, a fresher at Mak complained. “It is your fault that you joined a university of strikes, at least we at UCU have no strikes and we shall report on 31st august with no hitches,” Traycee, UCU fresher mockingly replied. For the sundry freshers who have joined public universities, it is pertinent to highlight the ramifications of the strike keeping you at home.
The strike at the public universities is coordinated by the Public Universities Non-Teaching Staff Executive Forum (PUNTSEF). PUNTSEF is an umbrella organization representing the interests of Non-teaching staff in public universities. This body is akin to a trade union. Bodies like PUNTSEF are protected by the law of the country. The Constitution of Uganda guarantees the right of every Ugandan to freedom of association which includes the freedom to form and join association or trade unions. TheNon-teaching staff, in exercise of their freedom of association formed PUNTSEF to lobby for their rights like the right to salary increments.
Many desperate freshers have been calling for the sacking of non-teaching staff members with a notion that the sacked staff will be quickly replaced and the universities will be open on time i.e. 22nd August for Mak and Kyambogo. However, according to the law contained in the Labour Unions Act, 2006, employees have a right to organize themselves in labour unions and withdraw their labour and take industrial action. Such employees cannot be discharged on account of his or her lawful involvement in that industrial action and termination because of participation will be unfair termination.
If the universities were to heed to the whims of the freshers and fire the non-teaching staff, they may face huge penalties for violating of the Labour Unions Act, 2006. It looks unlikely that the universities will risk getting penalized and will want to avoid the long process that it will take to hire new people to fill up the vacated positions. Suffice to say, the key to reporting to university lies with the striking non-teaching staff. If they choose to accept the offer by government to increase their salary in financial year 2016/17, then the gates of public universities will be opened soon. Otherwise, for now, buckle up and enjoy your extended vacation.
