A rift has erupted between science teachers under the umbrella of Uganda Professional Science Teachers Union-UPTU and their colleagues under Uganda National Teachers Union-UNATU over salary.
Science teachers have accused their colleagues in the Arts sector of spreading false propaganda that the government is plotting to review salary enhancements by sharing the money among all.
On Saturday June 18, President Museveni summoned the UNATU leadership over an ongoing strike and directed the union to resume teaching in public schools.
Museveni also reportedly directed the Ministries of Education and Public Service to address the matter of salary discrminations in the sector to create an increment for all teachers in a phased manner.
Shortly after the meeting, UNATU Secretary General Filbert Baguma announced that the body would continue with their strike over discriminatory pay until such a time when the delegated ministries review their salaries.
Baguma says they proposed that if the government doesn't have enough money to enhance the salaries of all teachers at the same time, they should share the available resources across the board.
“We put it to the government that the enhancements now are a breach of a collective bargaining agreement we made in 2018, the government underrated the consequences. Our resumption of teaching will depend on how long the government takes to review and whether the outcome addresses a fair salary enhancement “ he says
This position has not gone down well with the science teachers who claim UNATU is spreading a false message to the public. Vincent Elong, the UPSTU chairperson, says the government has committed and they will not settle for anything less than that.
He says UNATU leadership should have informed the government of their position prior to the budget reading instead of trying to sabotage their prior negotiation.
He emphasizes that science teachers' salaries are being enhanced under the 2018 government policy for all scientists in civil service of which scientists in other fields have since received this enhancement leaving out those in post-primary education institutions.
“They are saying the government is going to review salaries which are already enhanced, where has this union been?if they really cared for teachers, they are just panicking. As science teachers, we don't expect a review of salaries that have already been enhanced and the budget has been read.” Elong stated
While reading the budget for the financial year 2022/2023, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija noted that the government had enhanced salaries for science teachers. The increment saw graduate science and grade V teachers' pay pushed 4 million shillings and 3 million shillings up from 1.1 million and 796,000 shillings respectively.
UNATU wants the government to propose a proposed salary raise plan for all teachers and other staff.
According to said draft, secondary school headteachers should receive 10 million shillings, and primary school headteachers 4.5 million shillings .
UNATU is also pushing the government to pay 4.8 million shillings to graduate science teachers and 4.5 million shillings to those teaching arts and humanities. They are also advocating for a 1.35 million shillings minimum salary for primary school teachers.