Uganda: Makerere University staff strike over salary disparities

KAMPALA, Uganda

A section of Makerere University staff has commenced industrial action, protesting the institution's failure to harmonize their salaries with those of staff at other public universities.

The strike, announced on Monday, was confirmed in a letter addressed to the University Council chairperson, Lorna Magara. The striking staff include members of the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (Muasa), the Makerere Administrative Staff Association (Masa), and the National Union of Education Institutions (NUEI).

At the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), lecture rooms and offices, particularly in the Department of Journalism and Communication, remained closed. In other areas, students were present in classrooms, but lecturers did not show up. However, some lecturers continued teaching despite the strike. A third-year Social Work class, for instance, was still being held in Frank Kalimuzo CTF1.

The College of Health Sciences experienced minimal disruption. A first-year student, Xavier Bongo, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree, reported attending both a lecture and a test earlier in the day. Bongo was unaware of the strike, noting that activities in his college were proceeding normally.

Library services across the campus were also affected. Many college libraries were closed, though the main University Library remained open. However, students could only access reading spaces as the book banks were unavailable due to staff absence.

Dr Robert Kakuru, chairperson of Masa, stated that the strike would continue until their demands are met. Concerning staff who continued to work, Kakuru suggested that they may not have been fully informed about the strike.

“We believe some members may not be aware of the joint staff association general assembly. They may have continued with their duties due to this knowledge gap. We are informing them that all staff are on strike and should honour this resolution,” Kakuru explained.

Makerere University vice chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, during a phone interview, labelled the strike as illegal. He argued that the staff had not followed the correct procedures to strike. According to Nawangwe, staff are only permitted to strike after reaching a dead end in negotiations, which, in his view, had not occurred, as discussions with the ministry of Public Service were still ongoing.

Nawangwe urged the staff associations to encourage their members to return to work while negotiations continue.