Return to school if you want pay raise, govt tells striking Makerere staff

The Public Service Ministry has advised striking Makerere University staff to obtain the necessary qualifications if they want a pay raise.

The Assistant Commissioner for Human Resource Management, Mr David Watulo, explained that public service operates within a structured framework, and each position requires specific qualifications.

“If you qualify for a certain position, the salary is attached. Those who do not meet the qualifications are required to acquire them,” Mr Watulo stated.

The ministry’s guidance follows a strike by both teaching and non-teaching staff at Makerere University, which began yesterday. The staff have downed their tools over salary harmonisation issues and vowed to continue the strike until their grievances are addressed.

The staff claim that although the government released Shs12.6 billion to facilitate salary harmonisation, the process has been discriminatory. 

Since 2015, they have urged the government to align their pay with that of their colleagues at other public universities on the same salary scale.

However, when the funds were disbursed, university management only harmonised the salaries of staff who met the required qualifications for specific positions, sparking the current strike.

Dr Robert Kakuru, the chairperson of the Makerere University Academic Staff Association, criticised the Public Service Ministry and the university for attaching qualifications to the released funds.

“We began discussions on salary harmonisation in 2015 after discovering that some staff with the same qualifications were earning more than us. When the government finally allocated the Shs12.6 billion, they introduced qualifications as a condition,” Dr Kakuru said.

He emphasised that qualifications were not part of the original agreement with the government and vowed the strike would continue until all staff whose salaries were due for harmonisation receive pay adjustments.

“The Shs12.6 billion should be distributed to all staff without tying it to qualifications,” he added.

The chairperson of the Makerere University Administrative Staff Association, Mr Bennet Magara, echoed Dr Kakuru’s sentiments, announcing that lecture rooms would remain closed, the library would be shut, and cleaning services would cease.

“We do the same work, so there is no justification for some of our colleagues earning more. Our offices will remain dirty, and no one can work in dirty offices,” Mr Magara said.

Management's responds

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, labelled the strike illegal, arguing that the staff association had not followed the proper procedures for initiating a strike. He noted that the matter had been brought before the University Council, which had instructed management to consult the Ministry of Public Service about revising some of the salary harmonisation conditions.

“It’s not that we are ignoring their grievances. These issues will be addressed once the Ministry of Public Service responds. There is no need for anyone to strike. I urge the associations to be rational and advise their members to return to work,” Prof Nawangwe said.

He added: “As management, we will ensure that work continues during negotiations. I appeal to them to call off the strike, or we will implement measures to ensure everyone does their job.”

In response, the staff called on Prof Nawangwe to stop making threats and address their concerns in a more constructive manner.

Acting Chairperson of the National Union of Education Institutions (NUEI), Mr Isaac Okello, stated that the university had been given over 90 days’ notice, but it failed to address the staff’s demands.

“They introduced conditions that were never part of the negotiations. The money has been released, and the university should account for it. We negotiated based on numbers, not qualifications,” Mr Okello said, urging Prof Nawangwe to seek alternative approaches rather than issuing threats. He added that none of the more than 5,000 beneficiaries had received any salary increments.

 Mr Watulo confirmed that the Ministry of Public Service had received a letter from the joint staff associations and would engage with the university administration and association leadership to reach a unified position.