Makerere University staff have begun industrial action over delays in salary harmonisation, protesting the university management’s failure to equalise their salaries with those of staff at other public universities.
The strike, led by the Joint Staff Associations—including the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), the Makerere Administrative Staff Association (MASA), and the National Union of Education Institutions (NUEI)—was announced in a letter dated October 7, 2024.
The letter, addressed to the University Council Chairperson Lorna Magara, indicated that the industrial action would take effect immediately.
The associations criticised the university management for failing to fulfill its promise to harmonise salaries by September 2024—a commitment made two months earlier.
Staff Grievances
One of the staff’s major concerns is the alleged demotion of several colleagues instead of the expected salary adjustments.
Staff members also claim that some of their peers received letters detailing salary scales without specific figures, raising concerns about transparency.
They accuse management of attempting to defraud staff and failing to honor previous agreements.
The associations also accused university management of collaborating with the Uganda Police to interfere with a planned joint staff general assembly that was supposed to take place on October 1, 2024.
This assembly was intended to discuss the salary harmonisation process and other grievances, further intensifying staff frustrations.
Staff Demands
The striking staff have vowed to continue their action until their demands are fully met. These demands include:
The staff wants full payment of the salary harmonisation funds, including arrears, as calculated by the university management and approved by both the University Council and the Government of Uganda for the 2024/2025 financial year.
They are calling for the immediate reversal of decisions by the appointments board that demoted staff members to lower ranks, a move they believe was made to avoid paying higher salaries.
Accurate Salary Information: The staff demand that all salary harmonisation letters issued so far be rescinded and reissued with clear and accurate figures for each salary scale, ensuring transparency in the process.
For years, Makerere University staff have pushed for salary harmonisation to align their pay with that of their counterparts at other public universities.
They argue it is unfair for similarly qualified employees in public universities to receive drastically different pay, with some Makerere staff earning only half of what their peers in other institutions make.
History of Salary Harmonisation Efforts
In 2017, Makerere staff petitioned the University Council, resulting in the formation of a Salary Harmonisation Committee.
The committee, chaired by Thomas Tayebwa, estimated that Ugx23 billion would be required to harmonise salaries across all staff categories, including Ugx17.7 billion for academic staff, Ugx4.3 billion for administrative staff, and Ugx669 million for support staff.
Earlier this year, staff had threatened to strike in January 2024 but paused after Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe assured them that the salary issue would be addressed with the government.
However, the staff made it clear that if the funds were not allocated for salary harmonisation in the 2024/2025 budget, they would resume the strike in April 2024.
Relief appeared possible when the government allocated Ugx61 billion for salary harmonisation across 12 public universities.
Makerere University was slated to receive Ugx12.6 billion, second only to Makerere University Business School (MUBS), which was allocated Ugx14 billion.
Other universities, such as Muni University, Kyambogo University, Lira University, and Busitema University, were also beneficiaries of the allocation.
Current Situation
Despite this allocation, Makerere University staff assert that they have not received any formal communication regarding their harmonised salaries, unlike their peers at other public universities who have already begun receiving their revised pay.
This lack of action has heightened anxiety and dissatisfaction among the university’s academic and administrative staff.
With the industrial action now underway, it remains unclear how long the strike will last and what impact it will have on the university’s operations.
Both staff and students are awaiting a resolution that will end the salary dispute and restore normalcy at Uganda’s oldest and most prestigious institution.
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