Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among has pledged Parliament’s commitment to resolving the ongoing teachers’ strike, assuring members of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) that their concerns over salary disparities will be treated with urgency.
While receiving a petition from UNATU, led by Secretary General Baguma Filbert, the Speaker Among acknowledged the long-standing issue of perceived preferential treatment between science and arts teachers, which has triggered a new wave of industrial action across the country.
The Speaker expressed concern that the continued strike poses a serious threat to the education sector and the country’s broader human capital development goals thus urging teachers to return to work as efforts to address their grievances are underway.
She reaffirmed Parliament’s role as a people centered institution, saying it will not only receive the petition but also take concrete steps to ensure it is addressed swiftly.
She vowed to invoke Rule 31 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament to ensure the expeditious consideration of this petition by the relevant agencies of government.
Speaker Among also noted that Parliament is still within the budget cycle, which provides an opportunity to work closely with the Executive to explore possible adjustments to address teachers’ salary concerns.
She commended UNATU for choosing constructive engagement over confrontation, stressing that dialogue remains the most effective path toward a sustainable solution.
Baguma told the Speaker that it has now been three years since teachers began waiting for government action on salary increments, but nothing has been done.
He also requested the Speaker to direct the Parliamentary Committee on Education, which will scrutinize the petition, to handle it as early as possible before the situation worsens.
The ongoing teachers’ strike has left thousands of learners stranded, as educators push for pay harmonization with their science counterparts, whose salaries were increased in previous budget allocations.
Teachers began their sit-down strike on September 15, disrupting learning barely a month into the third term. The industrial action stems from long-standing salary disparities between science and arts teachers. on Thursday October 2nd 2025 the minister for Public Service Mululi Mukasa issued a Seven day ultimatum for teachers to rethink their industrical action or else they face punitive measures including dismissal.
By Francis Lubega
08th Oct 2025
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