Just when schools have been cleared to reopen especially for finalists, Makerere University Business School (MUBS) lecturers have declared a sit-down strike over their salaries.
The sit-down strike was declared on Sunday by Brian Muyomba, the chairperson MUBS Academic Staff Association in a press conference during which they called upon students not to report to the institution expected to reopen on October 15.
According to Muyomba, MUBS senior staff and management held a meeting on December 28, 2019 with President Museveni over the issue of salary harmonisation. He said that President Museveni promised that by July 2020, the matter would be resolved.
Thereafter the Public Service Permanent Secretary Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire directed the Finance ministry to effect payment of Ugx 59 billion in FY 2020/21. This money was meant to cater for the salaries of 843 MUBS staff.
According to staff at the university, a Vice Chancellor at the university should be entitled to a salary of Uganda Shillings 20million, a deputy vice chancellor 17.4 million, a professor 15.6 million, an associate professor 14.8 million, a senior lecturer 9million, lecturer 8.1million, assistant lecturer 6.6million, a teaching assistant 5.7million.
Muyomba said that presently, for example, an associate professor at MUBS earns about Uganda Shillings 8 million only. He said that staff have therefore unanimously agreed not to resume teaching until this pay disparity with other universities is resolved.