Govt to harmonise Makerere university staff salaries

The government has conceded to the demands of striking Makerere University staff and agreed to harmonise their salaries without linking the pay increase to academic qualifications. 
This decision follows weeks of strikes by both teaching and non-teaching staff, who protested against the exclusion of some employees without certain academic credentials from benefiting from the Shs12.6 billion allocated for salary harmonisation.
Initially, the Public Service ministry had advised that only staff with specific qualifications would receive harmonised salaries, sparking outrage among university workers. The Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) insisted that the funds be distributed evenly, without qualifications as a condition, as this was not part of the original agreement.
In a letter dated October 22 and addressed to all Makerere staff, signed by both teaching and non-teaching staff leadership, the government acknowledged the grievances and agreed to distribute the funds to all staff, regardless of qualifications. The statement, seen by Daily Monitor, revealed that a meeting at the Public Service ministry on Tuesday resolved that the university management would harmonise salaries based on staff positions rather than academic qualifications. The lowest scale on the university payroll will now be PU15.
“Staff in post will be paid the higher, harmonised salaries irrespective of their academic qualifications, as they are already performing the same work, and new qualifications cannot be applied retrospectively,” the circular stated.
The Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, confirmed the developments.
“I thank the Ministry of Public Service for heeding the appeal of Makerere staff and agreeing on a more inclusive process for harmonising staff salaries. Makerere will implement the new guidelines,” Prof Nawangwe said.
Teaching and non-teaching staff at Makerere laid down their tools on October 7, protesting the selective salary harmonisation and vowing to strike until their concerns were addressed. The staff had expected the Shs12.6 billion allocated by the government to harmonise salaries across the board. However, the university initially adjusted the salaries of staff with certain qualifications, leaving out those who didn’t meet the criteria, which sparked the strike.
The Muasa Chairperson, Dr Robert Kakuru, criticised the university and Public Service for introducing qualifications as a condition for accessing the funds.