Over 1500 teachers in Mbarara Municipality under their umbrella Uganda National Teachers Union - UNATU, have laid down their tools over pay.
Teachers have been protesting the delayed payment of their March salaries. Of the 1550 teachers, 1200 are members of UNATU.
According to Ben Twahairwe, the UNATU Chairperson for Mbarara Municipality, the teachers are struggling to survive due to the delayed payment of their salaries. He says that some of the teachers have not received their salaries for the month of February as well.
Twahairwe, explains that most of the teachers are struggling to service their bank loans, clear fees for their children and did not celebrate Easter festivities.
The UNATU chairman adds that a decision to lay down the tools is not aimed at creating a crisis but rather to send a signal to the top leadership. Twahairwa adds that they have written to the office of the Town Clerk Mbarara on several occasions but have not received any formal response.
UNATU Southwestern Regional coordinator, David Muhanguzi Kaniga, told this website that the teachers are struggling to make ends meet.
Last week, Mbarara Town Clerk Edward Lwanga revealed that the salaries were to be paid before Easter but this was never realised. He declined to give details.
This is not the first time that teachers are laying down their tools over pay. In August 2016, teachers in Mbarara Municipality went on strike to protest none-payment of their salaries for three months.