The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has asked the government to withdraw threats against arts teachers currently on strike and instead open meaningful dialogue to resolve the long-standing salary dispute.
Arts teachers across the country laid down their tools last week at the start of the third term, demanding that government honour promises to bridge the salary gap between them and science teachers. The standoff has left classrooms unattended and heightened tensions between unions and officials.
Minister of Public Service Muruli Mukasa warned recently that teachers who refuse to return to class risk losing their jobs, a statement that ULS described as unconstitutional and intimidating. “Such threats undermine freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, including the right to assemble and demonstrate,” said ULS Vice President Anthony Asiimwe.
The Law Society noted that blanket dismissal threats do not resolve grievances but instead erode trust in government. It urged officials to prioritize dialogue with teachers’ representatives rather than resorting to ultimatums.
UNATU General Secretary Filbert Baguma echoed the frustration of arts teachers, pointing out that they have waited three years for promised salary adjustments. He recalled that after the 2022 strike, government addressed salary demands of science teachers first, leaving their arts counterparts behind.
Lawyers, union leaders, and education stakeholders now warn that the impasse could worsen if government does not shift toward negotiation. They argue that intimidation not only risks escalating the crisis but also undermines the spirit of fairness in Uganda’s education system.