Makerere University Strike: Management to Meet Public Service to Resolve Salary Problems

It seems like the drama at Makerere University is far from over. If you thought the cattle auctions at Nakasero were intense, wait until you hear what’s brewing in Uganda’s oldest and most prestigious university. The striking staff at Makerere are not backing down, and now, management is getting ready to face the Ministry of Public Service in a meeting that promises to be as heated as the midday sun in Gulu.

Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Mukadasi Buyinza, responded to Guild President Lubega Nsamba’s plea to end the impasse. Nsamba, probably conveying the thoughts of many frustrated students, urged the university to do something before the strike turned into another season of “MUK Closed,” a show we’ve all seen far too many times.

Buyinza, in a letter dated October 11, played the role of the calm uncle at a family meeting, assuring the Guild President that dialogue and consultation were already on the table. He added that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service has now entered the chat, offering a fresh opportunity to tackle the matter. This meeting, scheduled for October 15, 2024, is supposed to finally address the thorny issue of salary harmonization, which, by the looks of it, has been hanging around like that one boda guy who insists on offering you a ride you didn’t ask for.

The Staff Strike: A Battle for Salary Harmonization

The Makerere University staff kicked off their industrial action at the start of the week, and the timing couldn’t be worse. It’s like when you get a flat tire right after paying for a full tank of fuel. The staff are protesting the university’s failure to harmonize their salaries with those of other public universities. Now, you may wonder why Makerere, the “Harvard of Africa,” as we like to call it, is lagging behind when it comes to paying its staff.

The staff say it’s nothing short of an injustice for people with similar qualifications to receive salaries that are worlds apart. Imagine being a boda rider in Kampala making half of what your colleague in Entebbe is making, even though you’re both doing the same job—carrying people through the chaos of traffic. It would sting, wouldn’t it? Well, that’s what Makerere’s staff are dealing with.

In their letter dated October 7, the staff accused the university management of failing to keep its promise. Apparently, back in September, they were all supposed to be happily earning harmonized salaries, but that promise evaporated faster than a morning fog in Masaka. Now, staff are demanding answers and, more importantly, their money.

As if the salary issue wasn’t enough, the staff are also upset about demotions and what they call a suspicious handling of salary adjustments. They claim that some staff members received adjustment letters that were as vague as a politician’s campaign promises—letters with no clear salary figures, leaving many feeling like they’ve been shortchanged. It’s like going to the bank to withdraw your savings and receiving a blank receipt. The staff are not having it and are calling this an attempt to defraud them.

Now, all eyes are on the October 15 meeting. Will the Ministry of Public Service step in and settle this mess, or will it just be another round of discussions that lead to nothing? Buyinza is banking on this meeting to resolve the salary woes not just for Makerere, but for staff across other public universities as well.

Students are twiddling their thumbs, wondering when they’ll get back to their lectures. They say history repeats itself, and in Makerere’s case, it seems the history of staff strikes is a story that never really ends.

Table: Timeline of Events

All eyes are on whether this long standing salary dispute can finally be put to rest as Makerere University management prepares to meet with the Ministry of Public Service. For now, the students will have to wait, and the staff will continue their strike, hoping this meeting delivers more than just empty promises.