KAMPALA.
Students at 10 public universities can breathe a sigh of relief after teaching and non-teaching staffers called off their sit down strike which had paralysed normal operations at the institutions for two weeks.
The sit down strike was announced by Mr Jackson Betihamah ,the chairperson of Non-teaching Executive Forum (PUNTSEF) and the leadership of the Forum for Academic Staff of Public Universities (FASPU).
This came after the staffers reportedly failed received any feedback from the minister of Public Service by February 17, 2025 and the issue of salary enhancement had not been reflected in the 2025/2026 budget framework paper .
In a joint statement signed by Mr Robert Ojambo ,the chairperson of Kyambogo University Academic Staff Association ,Ms Mary Birungi ,the chairperson of Kyambogo University Senior Staff Association (KYUSASA) and Tadeo Zziwa , the chairperson National Union of Educational Institutions (NUEI) ,said they resolved to suspend the withdrawal of their labour for a period of one month to allow engagements with various sectors of government .
“The staff also resolved to resume the industrial action without reconvening if the issue of enhancement of staff salary is not resolved by April 2,2025. A six-member team has been selected to work with the management of Kyambogo University to follow up this matter,” the statement reads in part
The trio said they are committed to work with colleagues under the Forum for Academic Staff in Public Universities (FASPU) and Public Universities Non-Teaching Staff in Executive Forum (PUNSEF) ,until the issue of salary enhancement is resolved .
Similarly , on Monday the staffers of Gulu University during a joint assembly chaired by Mr Walter Okot ,the chairperson of Gulu University Academic Staff Association (GUASA) voted to resume work on Tuesday ,March 4. According to Prof. George Ladaah Openjuru , the Gulu University vice chancellor ,said the workers agreed to resume work because management has good-will towards follow up of their demand for salary enhancement using strategic means that don’t stampede services in the university .
The workers from various public universities including; Makerere , Kyambogo University, Busitema University, Soroti University, Lira University, Gulu University, Makerere University Business School and Mbarara University of Science and Technology want the government to increase salaries of all the university staff in PSU 5 to PSU15.
The salaries of professors and associate professors were increased to 100 per cent in the 2019/2020 budget. They claim government promised to increase their salary later, but when the Covid-19 pandemic came, government asked them to be patient.
To date, nothing has happened as earlier promised, the university staff complain.
In 2015, President Museveni directed for salary enhancement of teaching staff in public universities, with professors earning Shs15 million per month each. The other staffers’ enhancement would subsequently, according to Mr Museveni’s directive. Since then, the staff in public universities have been staging numerous on and off sit down strikes to compel the government fulfill its pledge, but all in vain.