NAKAWA – Lecturers at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) on Monday said their strike, which started a week ago, will continue unless the school Council makes a formal commitment to enhance their salaries and pay their arrears.
Under their umbrella body, Makerere University Business School Academic Staff Association (MUBASA), they are demanding about Shs45b that accrued from government’s failure to honour partial salary enhancement and accumulation of unpaid salaries for assistant lecturers.
However, in a meeting held on Monday, they said since they wrote to the principal, Prof Wasswa Balunywa on May 22 and June 6, seeking redress of their grievances, he has not shown any commitment to pay their money.
The MUBASA chairperson, Dr Isaac Magoola, demanded that Prof Wasswa Balunywa, should secure a confirmation letter of the school’s wage requirements from the Ministry of Public Service to enable the Ministry of Finance to act.
“The strike is on. We are waiting for an official communication. Council resolved that the principal should secure the aforementioned letter of confirmation,” he said.
He added that they were tired of empty promises from their managers and unless government responds, they will not supervise their students who are already on field attachments.
Last week, Prof Balunywa advised the striking lecturers to address their concerns to the right government authorities as the university management had completed negotiations with the different stakeholders.
“We have about 200 lecturers whose salaries have never been enhanced and that is not within our control,” he said.
“The Ministry of Finance awaits a letter from the Ministry of Public Service and we were urged to see that the letter goes and money will come,” Prof Balunywa said.
