Teachers, government fail to strike agreement

Teachers react during their meeting with the government in Kampala yesterday. Both parties resolved to continue negotiating after they failed to reach an agreement on the 20 per cent pay increment. Photo by Stephen Wandera 

By  PATIENCE AHIMBISIBWE & AL-MAHDI SSENKABIRWA

Kampala- A meeting to end a stalemate between the government and teachers yesterday yielded nothing as each party insisted on their varied positions.

The teachers, through their umbrella Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) initiated the meeting where they invited Ministry of Education officials to explain their official communication on behalf of government on the 20 per cent salary increment.

She said several meetings had been held, including the NRM caucus and the Parliament’s Budget committee and concluded that the increment was not possible this financial year.

She appealed to the teachers to return to class as they continue to engaging the government.

“The current constraints being experienced in the budget are evident to us all and the shift in focus to infrastructure and energy development is a strategic decision aimed at benefitting the entire economy,” Ms Alupo said.

“It was concluded that it was not feasible to effect 20 per cent salary enhancement for teachers this financial year. The government has been guided to prioritise salary enhancement across board in the subsequent financial years,” the minister said.

Appeals
“Let us commit to call off the industrial action while maintaining open the consultative process to find a lasting solution to challenges faced by the teachers,” she added.

However, the teachers had many unanswered questions. Mr James Tweheyo, Unatu general secretary, asked whether their failure to get the promised money was because of the caucus meetings.

“Why should a non-partisan issue such as the teachers’ increment be subjected to a partisan vote? We believe that some NRM MPs voted by virtue of their party affiliation but if the matter had been handled otherwise, they would have supported the increment. Is it justifiable to have a critical national issue subjected to a partisan vote?” he asked.

He added: “Is it because children of our legislators and the executive do not go to public schools? Is it an aspect of promoting private education where the majority of the proprietors are the same people in whom powers of determining the destiny of our future lies?

Making the government case, Junior Finance minister Aston Kajara said: “We promised the 20 per cent, but we can only give what we have. We have said our payroll is so rotten. We are paying more ghosts than real people. Let us clean the payroll and we will pay you.”

But this was greeted with uproar from the teachers forcing the minister to end his comments prematurely. Security minister Muruuli Mukasa was received with similar hostility, compelling him to end his speech in two minutes.

“Unfortunately, we have to make painful decisions. For this year, sorry we can’t have what we promised,” Mr Muruuli said before he was booed.
The teachers then demanded that the meeting be called off.

Mr Tweheyo announced that they would form a committee as earlier suggested by Ms Alupo to continue negotiating with government but maintained that the industrial action will continue until money is found.

An invitation to teachers to have lunch was turned down leaving the government officials in shock