Just days after reporting dates for University finalists were announced, lecturers of public universities have warned that they will not be going to teach when the universities open for the finalists to complete their semester. This was revealed in a meeting that was held on Tuesday afternoon by the leaders of staff associations.
“The meeting realised that it’s not fair that such a move supported by the President and acceptable to us be changed unilaterally without our input,” said Deus Kamunyu, MUASA Chairperson.
The aggrieved lecturers claim that government has still failed to solve their salary discrepancies.
According to the last meeting held with the President, a professor is expected to earn UGX 15m, an associate professor UGX 14m, a senior lecturer UGX 13m, and an assistant lecturer UGX 12m.
In December 2019, the Ministry of Finance approved approximately UGX 50bn through Parliament to settle lecturers’ wages. However, the government has this time decided to only consider a salary enhancement for a professor and assistant professor- a move the lecturers cite as “unfair treatment.”
Deus Kamunyu, the Chairperson of the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) said in a press brief, “The meeting also realised that it’s not fair that such a move supported by the President and acceptable to us be changed unilaterally without our input.”
The lecturers have given an ultimatum of one week for their issues to be resolved lest they will not be setting foot into the lecture rooms when final year students report next month.
