Two weeks after public universities closed due to a strike over salaries, there is no way forward.
CHRISTOPHER TUSIIME has been meeting some of the protagonists in the struggle and finds that there is more than meets the eye in the continuing salary dispute.
Last Thursday, the vice chancellor of Makerere University, Prof John Ddumba-Ssentamu ruled that the institution would not open today, as previously communicated.
“Following the continued industrial action by the non-teaching staff … Makerere is closed until further notice, and all halls of residence that have been open will also be closed,” said Ddumba Ssentamu.
He added that the decision had been confirmed by the university’s council chairman, Dr Charles Wana-Etyem. The situation is also the same at the other public universities, Busitema, Gulu, Kyambogo, Mbarara and Makerere University Business School (Mubs).
This was after a controversial meeting of non teaching staff from the institutions was held in Makerere last Thursday, and resolved to continue with industrial action.
Meeting as the Public Universities Non-Teaching Staff Executive Forum (Puntsef), they argued that they would even go on hunger strike if compelled to work.
“We have heard rumours that we are to be forced back to work, but let’s make this clear: without enhanced salaries and paid arrears, we shall not open these universities, and work,” Puntsef chairperson Jackson Betihamah said.
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Complementing Betihamah, the chairperson of National Union of Educational Institutions (NUEI), Amos Tukamushaba said the matter should have been resolved a long time ago.
“It is unfortunate that a simple issue like this has taken us this far. This money should have been paid yesterday and not today or tomorrow. We need our enhanced salaried first, then work next,” Tukamushaba said.
SALARY DISPUTE
However, the matter has taken on a life of its own. A statement from the finance ministry indicated that the non-teaching staff had been paid enhanced salaries in line with earlier requests.
The non teaching staff had requested that their salaries be enhanced to match those of their academic colleagues. A release sheet, showing how the money was disbursed last month, indicates that the biggest beneficiaries were those in the lower ranks, some of whom obtained over 100 per cent increments.
However, according to an official in the finance ministry, who declined to be named, those pushing for the strike, ended up as the least beneficiaries.
“People in salary ranks like M20, where you have sweepers, saw their pay raised from Shs 244,185 to Shs 507,085 per month … an increment of 93%,” he said. “By comparison, where you find degree holders like M6, the increment was only 8%.”
Even officials at directorship level, where you find postgraduate degree holders (usually PhDs) enjoyed a 53% increment. Challenged about this, Puntsef officials told The Observer that they were not satisfied with how the increments had been made, explaining that this was the gist of the inconclusive meeting with the education minister, last Monday.
However, in a startling turn of events, the chairperson of the Mubs non- teaching staff, Bombeka Bataringaya was furious that his institution had missed out on the salary enhancement.
“Whereas staff in the other five universities had received last month’s salary, for us we haven’t received even a single coin,” he railed, prompting his colleagues to call for strike action.
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STUDENTS INVOLVEMENT
There is concern that if not resolved the strike action could become explosive, once students get involved. The guild presidents of public universities, meeting under their umbrella body, Public Universities Student Leaders Forum (PUSLF), resolved last Wednesday, that unless the grievances of striking staff were addressed by
Monday, they would also join the industrial action.
In a hastily-convened meeting at Makerere on Wednesday, the chairperson of PUSLF and guild president of Gulu University, Robert Mukembo said that the strike had lasted for too long.
“We as leaders of students have now decided that if these public universities don’t open by Friday evening, we are going to … call upon all students to turn up in large numbers, and we join the striking staff in a walk to the Constitutional Square to demand for our rights,” Mukembo warned, last Wednesday.
The guild presidents included Jothan Burobuto (Makerere) Lawrence Lugalavu (Kyambogo) David Wekoye (Busitema) and Charles Obore (Mbarara University of Science and Technology).
This prompted Betihamah to appeal to the students to remain calm.
“Students should know that some of the striking staff members are their parents. How do they think we can get tuition fees without being paid?” he wondered.
However, those close to him argue that Betihamah is counting on pressure from the more than 110,000 affected students to persuade the Finance ministry to concede and pay the staff more money.
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