Makerere University staff continue strike over salary harmonization

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Leaders of Makerere University staff have called on their members to persist with the strike that began last week, sparked by the university’s failure to align their salaries with those of staff at other public universities. The leaders of the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), the Makerere Administrative Staff Association (MASA), and the National Union of Educational Institutions (NUEI) said this in their October 14th, 2024 communique shared with all staff at the  University as their industrial action enters week two.

The staff leaders—Dr. Robert Kakuru, Chairperson of MUASA, Bennett Magara, Chairperson of MASA, and Isaac Okello, Chairperson of NUEI—raised concerns about reports of college principals and unit heads gathering staff information who were not teaching, allegedly at the request of the University Council.  They criticized this action, calling it unjust, since the Council had already been informed of the staff’s resolution to withhold their labor until salary harmonization is implemented.

“The Executive Committee of the Joint Staff Associations communicated your resolution to withdraw your labor to the Chairperson of Council on Oct 7th, 2024. Yet our attention has been drawn to requests for information from College Principals, Deans, Heads of Departments, and all Unit Heads on staff who are not teaching, under the pretext that the Council needs the same information,” reads part of the letter

“This is unconscionable since the Council is aware that you resolved to withdraw your labor until the implementation of full salary harmonization according to the schedule on whose basis the government released UGX 12.6bn in the budget for the FY 2024/2025,” continues the letter

The staff leaders further warned that such actions may be designed to pressure staff into ending the strike prematurely, potentially creating a toxic work environment.  “The Executive Committee of the Joint Staff Associations understands that such demands may be devised to pressurize you to abandon your resolution before your demands are met, and this can only create a toxic working environment. The Committee takes strong exception to this possibility and similar actions, which are illegal and appear to be taken in bad faith,” reads another part of the letter

It is against this background that these staff leaders called on the University Management and Council to refrain from such tactics and focus instead on addressing the staff’s legitimate demand for salary harmonization.  “Therefore, we reiterate the legality of your industrial action and ask you to remain firm in your resolution, assured of the full protection of the law. We ask the University Management, University Council, and other actors to refrain from blackmailing staff, to avoid the risk of escalating the ongoing industrial dispute,” reads the letter in parts.

“Quite the reverse, we ask Management, Council, and any other relevant actors to urgently address the staff’s legitimate demand for full salary harmonization, to end the ongoing industrial action.” Another part of the letter reads. Makerere University staff launched an industrial action at the beginning of this week to protest the institution’s failure to harmonize their salaries with those of staff at other public universities.

The striking staff argue that it is unjust for individuals with similar qualifications to receive vastly different salaries, with some Makerere staff earning only half of what their counterparts in other institutions are paid.  The staff in their 7th October 2024 letter which communicated their strike to the University Council Chairperson, accused the university management of failure to honor its commitment to pay harmonized salaries by September 2024 which they had agreed on two months back.

Meanwhile, this comes just a few days after the University management had earlier communicated that they are set to meet with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service on Tuesday to resolve the ongoing staff strike that has disrupted operations at Uganda’s oldest academic institution.

Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mukadasi Buyinza while responding to a plea by Guild President Lubega Nsamba, who had urged the university to engage with the striking staff to end the impasse, said that the university had previously attempted to resolve the matter through dialogue and consultation, but the recent invitation by the Permanent Secretary offers a new opportunity for a comprehensive discussion.

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URN