The Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) set September 16th as the
date they would lay down their tools if a salary raise of 20% was not
implemented by government as agreed in their negotiations in the last
year. At the time they wanted a 100% salary raise, but government said
it would be difficult to realize this because of other pressing issues
in the budget. To the dismay of the teachers when the budget was read,
this money was not allocated.
From the government side it is understandable that there is no money a condition that came about due to donor cuts in support for budget. The donors astounded by rampant corruption denoted by the scandal in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and in the Ministry of Public Service over Pension withdrew support for most of the budget. Uganda has to fend for herself. The abrupt manner in which the cuts were made created some sort of crisis. Right now the president has maintained that there is no money to increase teacher salaries. The government also feels that if the teachers have their way, even if they were initially promised, other civil servants like health workers, the armed forces and others will lay down their tools and demand for a pay rise.
On the side of the teachers, the pay rise was long overdue. They cite the alarming rise in cost of living, the heavy burden especially of free education and the fact that fending for themselves means they could compromise the quality of education. The teachers are right about their demand and were right to strike.
The response by the government has been one of communication in disarray. One minute it is characterized by threats, the next minute it is a promise to look for the money, the next minute there is a communication that there will be no money at all. This mixed signal makes it difficult for the teachers to see government reliable, especially when they had failed to keep their word the first time round.
It is likely that the government is borrowing a leaf from Kenya where the government issued an ultimatum for all teachers to get back to work or else they would be thrown out of employment. Within days all teachers had returned to work.
There is also the possibility that the government is looking at disunity within the teacher union to see if they can take advantage of the situation and get some people to work. Already some head teachers in up country locations appeared to resist the instructions to strike as of this morning. However UNATU officials were vigilant and patrolled the entire country watching over groups that would go against the strike.
Both sides in this standoff have a point as to their approach to the problem. But the approach may not necessarily salvage the situation. It is important for the teachers to demand for their pay, but considering how much this government values grassroots support it is unthinkable that they would ruffle the feathers of a grassroots constituency like teachers. Therefore there is a huge possibility that there is no money.
The way forward for the government and UNATU is to seek dialogue and negotiate again. Government should not take a high handed approach and UNATU should not hard bargain especially if they can come up with a road map. The consensus between the two parties should be that the remuneration of teachers should be improved.
This may sound outlandish but it is good for government to explore with cost-sharing between parents and the state to improve the welfare of teachers. Right now the government cannot afford resources to fully support the education system. Without donor funding we need to go back to the days when parents paid fees. Of course there have been appeals for budget cuts to some sectors. But it is unlikely that these cuts will be a sustainable solution, especially if after a year there is a deficiency that needs to be addressed in the manner in which the teachers issue has arisen.
From the government side it is understandable that there is no money a condition that came about due to donor cuts in support for budget. The donors astounded by rampant corruption denoted by the scandal in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and in the Ministry of Public Service over Pension withdrew support for most of the budget. Uganda has to fend for herself. The abrupt manner in which the cuts were made created some sort of crisis. Right now the president has maintained that there is no money to increase teacher salaries. The government also feels that if the teachers have their way, even if they were initially promised, other civil servants like health workers, the armed forces and others will lay down their tools and demand for a pay rise.
On the side of the teachers, the pay rise was long overdue. They cite the alarming rise in cost of living, the heavy burden especially of free education and the fact that fending for themselves means they could compromise the quality of education. The teachers are right about their demand and were right to strike.
The response by the government has been one of communication in disarray. One minute it is characterized by threats, the next minute it is a promise to look for the money, the next minute there is a communication that there will be no money at all. This mixed signal makes it difficult for the teachers to see government reliable, especially when they had failed to keep their word the first time round.
It is likely that the government is borrowing a leaf from Kenya where the government issued an ultimatum for all teachers to get back to work or else they would be thrown out of employment. Within days all teachers had returned to work.
There is also the possibility that the government is looking at disunity within the teacher union to see if they can take advantage of the situation and get some people to work. Already some head teachers in up country locations appeared to resist the instructions to strike as of this morning. However UNATU officials were vigilant and patrolled the entire country watching over groups that would go against the strike.
Both sides in this standoff have a point as to their approach to the problem. But the approach may not necessarily salvage the situation. It is important for the teachers to demand for their pay, but considering how much this government values grassroots support it is unthinkable that they would ruffle the feathers of a grassroots constituency like teachers. Therefore there is a huge possibility that there is no money.
The way forward for the government and UNATU is to seek dialogue and negotiate again. Government should not take a high handed approach and UNATU should not hard bargain especially if they can come up with a road map. The consensus between the two parties should be that the remuneration of teachers should be improved.
This may sound outlandish but it is good for government to explore with cost-sharing between parents and the state to improve the welfare of teachers. Right now the government cannot afford resources to fully support the education system. Without donor funding we need to go back to the days when parents paid fees. Of course there have been appeals for budget cuts to some sectors. But it is unlikely that these cuts will be a sustainable solution, especially if after a year there is a deficiency that needs to be addressed in the manner in which the teachers issue has arisen.
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