Teachers give government two days to clear their salaries for October

S.6 candidates of St Joseph’s Girls SSS, Nsambya, sit their first UACE paper yesterday. Teachers have threatened not to mark promotional exams if they don’t get their October salaries within two days.

Kampala- Teachers have issued a two-day ultimatum to government after it failed to pay them their October salary. This comes at the heels of other complaints from teachers who have been receiving less than their salaries.

For example, Mr Hillary Baguma, a science teacher at Ndegeya Primary Teachers’ College, received Shs80, 888 on his account as his September salary instead of about Shs600, 000 he is supposed to earn per month.

According to Mr James Tweheyo, the general Secretary Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu), there have been irregularities in salary remittances to teachers that they have now lost track on how much they earn.

Teachers accuse Public Service ministry for failing to issue payrolls to individual schools for accountability, which has made it difficult for them to follow up.
“We note with concern that the salaries of October have not been paid to date. Has government run broke? Its very unfortunate that even after accepting to forfeit the whole year’s increment, even what was due is now not paid. We have given government two days. If money is not in our pockets, don’t expect a teacher in class or to mark the end of year examinations,” Mr Tweheyo said yesterday at a news conference in Kampala.

The teachers also reminded government that the 28-day ultimatum over salary increment ended on October 10.

This follows their meeting with President Museveni last month where they agreed to sign a new memorandum of understanding in which they are supposed to hold government accountable on their new negotiations.
Ministry of Education commissioner in charge of communication Patrick Muinda said yesterday their ministry is not responsible for payment but promised to follow-up the matter.

Contacts of officials from ministries of Public Service and Finance were by press time not available.

Government Salaries
The numbers: There are 160, 000 teacher on government payroll.
A primary school teacher earns Shs273, 000, while a secondary school teacher earns between Shs300, 000 and Shs550, 000 a month.