MPs support Arts Teachers’ strike

By Francis Lubega

17^th June 2022

A section of members of parliament from the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Quality Education have backed the decision by Arts teachers to hold an industrial strike due to salary disparities.

Teachers under Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) announced an industrial strike effective 15^th June 2022 protesting the discriminatory salary enhancement to only science teachers until Government honors its commitment to increase their salary.

During the budget speech at Kololo independence grounds, the Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija while unveiling the 2022/2023 national budget indicated that Shs495bn had been earmarked to enhance salaries of scientists and effective 1^st July 2022, science teachers would be earning more money than their arts counterparts.

Addressing journalists at parliament this Friday, the chairperson of the parliamentary forum on quality education who is also workers MP Margaret Rwabushaija Namubiru noted that section 6 of the Employment Act talks about equal pay for equal work and increment of salaries to only science teachers contravenes this section.

Meanwhile, Bugabula County South Maurice Kibalya lashed out at Government for championing discrimination within the education sector arguing that no agency in Uganda is being run by only scientists and there is need to promote all sectors if the dream of Uganda attaining the middle income status is to be realized.

On Saturday, UNATU is expected to meet the Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni and the Minister for Public Service Wilson Muruli Mukasa on the ongoing industrial action.

All this also comes at the time when also Local government workers under their umbrella body “Uganda Local government Workers Union” have also threatened to lay down their tools come 6^th July 2022.