There won’t be pay raise - Museveni

President Museveni hugs of the people who attended the youth entrepreneurial reality game grand finale. President said there won’t be salary increment for civil servants and urged those who want it to seek greener pastures.

In Summary

There are demands by public servants, among others, judges, teachers and health workers for salary increment.

KAMPALA

President Museveni has said his government has no plans for increasing salaries for workers and those who feel unsatisfied should seek alternatives elsewhere.

“Government’s focus is on boosting infrastructural development and not salary increases as demanded by various trade unions,” the President said during the grand finale of “Sawa ya Cash,” a youth entrepreneurial reality game show, on Friday.

Singling out the workers umbrella body, the National Organisation of Trade Unions (Notu), which recently gave ultimatum to the government to adopt a minimum wage, as “unfocused,” he added that, “whoever feels unsatisfied can try out employment in some organised places like Tanzania, where trade unions achieve most of what they champion for.”

“Wherever I go, people ask for roads, electricity, hospitals and schools; yet at the same time others are pushing for salary increases,” Mr Museveni said. “But as government, our focus is on infrastructures which will spur development in other sectors as it was done in countries like China.”

The President’s remarks come in the wake of an outcry by public servants, among others, judges, teachers and health workers, to have their salaries increased.

The teachers early this week under their umbrella union, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu), said they remained unshaken by the President’s implied threat of mass dismissals, warning of strike action in 90 days if their salaries are not increased as promised.

Unatu chairperson Margaret Rwabushaija maintained that: “We negotiated with government and not the President. It was a government promise to increase teachers’ salaries in phases. We have given the government a 90-day notice and we have also petitioned Parliament.”

However, President Museveni, further stressed that his “government is committed to tackling crucial issues first and salaries will [if need be] addressed at an appropriate time”. He, also advised trade unions that “the best way to champion for a minimum wage is to create so many jobs in the country accompanied by many skilled workers; not in this status quo where jobs are few but workers are many”.

As a token of appreciation to what he called “focused groups/people,” the President donated Shs100 million to the youth entrepreneurship group, Inspire Africa, whom he said “were on the right cause in fighting youth unemployment through promoting innovations”.