Mbarara City, Uganda – Arts teachers in the Ankole region, operating under the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union (UPHTU), have announced a sit-down strike scheduled to begin on June 6, 2025.
This industrial action is a direct response to longstanding grievances regarding salary disparities and what they perceive as discrimination. The teachers have made it clear they will not resume teaching until their demands are addressed in the upcoming 2025/2026 financial year budget.
The decision was publicly announced on Tuesday during a press briefing held at Ntare Gardens in Mbarara City by Arnest Bwambale, the regional coordinator for UPHTU.
It is said that arts teachers with bachelor’s degrees earn a minimum monthly salary of UGX 960,288, while those holding diplomas receive UGX 745,000. Their demands are substantial: UGX 4 million for degree holders and UGX 2.4 million for diploma holders. They argue that these increases are necessary to address the significant pay gap when compared to their counterparts in the science disciplines.
This impending strike is a continuation of a broader advocacy effort by UPHTU. The union made a similar call last month, urging the government to eliminate salary discrimination and honor previous commitments made to the teaching fraternity.
The formal strike notice is detailed in a letter dated May 25, 2025, signed by UPHTU General Secretary Francis Mutesasira and Acting President Teopista Akello. This letter has been widely circulated to various key stakeholders, including District and Municipal Education Officers, Resident City and District Commissioners, internal and government security officers, head teachers, principals of National Teachers’ Colleges and Core Primary Teachers’ Colleges, school inspectors, and the general public.
