KAMPALA – Academic staff in public universities have insisted that they will not return to class until they get their salary enhancement.
Under their umbrella body, the Forum for Academic Staff in Public Universities of Uganda (FASPU), the teaching staff they are tired of endless promises by the government in regards to implementation of the presidential directive that he made six years back about enhancing the salaries of university staff.
“Since February 6, there is no learning taking place in all public universities. Students are there but are not learning,” Mr Robert Ojambo, the FASPU spokesperson, told journalists at Makerere University Main Campus in Kampala on Tuesday.
FASPU general secretary Robert Kakuru said government has since released only sh50b to cater for only the vice chancellors, professors, and associate professors, leaving out other lower-ranking lecturers.
“We are demanding equitable payment as per that presidential directive. We are only demanding equitable enhancement. We have been patient enough. Along the way, our senior colleagues were enhanced fully but we are also supposed to be enhanced fully so that there is equity. Otherwise, this injustice is going to affect promotions, careers in public universities due to the big gap between us. This is not right,” Kakuru said.
In 2014, Museveni directed the enhancement of the salaries of public University Staff following several negotiations. The was aimed at increasing the salary of teaching staff at the level of a professor to Shillings 15 million and lowest teaching staff Shillings Seven million.
The industrial action by the public university Academic Staff comes at a time when educational institutions are set to reopen on March 1 after the prolonged COVID-19 shutdown.