Makerere University staff have decided to temporarily call off their planned strike, which was scheduled to commence on January 15, 2024. The staff, represented by associations such as Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), Makerere Academic Staff Association (MASA), and the National Union of Education Institutions (NUEI), had cited the university’s failure to align their salaries with those of counterparts in other public universities.
Last week, the staff declared their intention for industrial action, raising concerns about the government’s failure to address their long-standing issues. The strike was set to start just two days into the new semester, impacting the university’s operations.
Despite Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe’s plea to Parliament for urgently needed funds for salary harmonization, the staff remained unconvinced, stating that similar concerns brought before Parliament last year yielded no funds allocation. However, when our reporter visited the university, there was no observable strike activity, and campus operations continued as usual.
In a letter signed by the chairpersons of the three associations, the staff have resolved to give the government a chance to resolve the salary harmonization matter. The letter emphasizes the need for the University Council to include UGX 12,636,589,200 in the 2024/2025 budget for salary harmonization.
While the staff have called off the strike temporarily, they have made it clear that if the proposed funds are not included in the 2024/2025 financial year budget, they will withdraw their labor effective April 8th, 2024.
