Steven Kibuuka & Richard Wanambwa
7 February 2008
Makerere — MAKERERE University lecturers have laid down their tools.
They said yesterday that they would only return to lecture rooms if the university management meets a set of conditions, including payment of arrears of all their teaching and non-teaching allowances of up to December 14, 2007, when the first semester ended.
The strike was announced by Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) yesterday at Makerere University school of Education at 4.30pm and it took immediate effect.
The strike is a follow-up of an earlier threat in which the lecturers warned the university's management that they would not be available to teach on February 4 when the University officially re-opened for the second semester unless their conditions were met. However, the University Council moved quickly to allay their fears with a promise that their issues would be handled before the deadline expired.
In a January 26 communication to the chairperson of the University Council, the lecturers pointed out several issues that they wanted to be addressed before February 4, among which was the payment of the arrears. The lecturers also demanded teaching materials like chalk and paper which have reportedly not been available.
"Since we (MUASA) forwarded our concerns to the University Council and there has not been any attempt to address them, we have unanimously agreed that we shall not teach and those who had began teaching will not continue until all issues have been satisfactorily addressed," Mr Kiggundu Musoke - the MUASA General Secretary - read the resolution to members.
The University Council had agreed in their crisis meeting of February 1 that the university re-opens as scheduled with a promise that it would set aside Shs200 million for teaching materials. It also promised payment of the arrears amounting to Shs150 million. However, by yesterday, none of the above demands had been met.
Another contentious issue is the unpaid pension to those entitled to it. "The University management should refund all the diverted money (Shs807,497,929), reportedly to clear Pay As You Earn (PAYE), without delay because the pensioners need their money," the letter reads in part.
However, the lecturers were shocked yesterday to learn that management had decided to refund only Shs400 million by the start of the semester, which was also not available.
According to the lecturers, the pension money was purportedly diverted to avoid a penalty of 2 per cent from the Uganda Revenue Authority amounting to Shs16 million.
"The university management proposal to refund this money by paying Shs10 million per month, which would make the repayment period last seven years, is an abuse to pensioners," the lecturers complained.
They lare also complaining about the state of teaching at Makerere which they say has reached unbearable levels with no teaching materials. They therefore want management to provide "teaching materials, including laboratory equipment and chemicals, stationery and other teaching related aids."
MUASA is also bitter that their 20 per cent contribution to the Deposit Administrative Plan (DAP) scheme has not been paid into the Standard Chartered Bank account. They now want authorities to pay the money with a 15 per cent interest.
About 3,600 senior Makerere academic and administrative staff contribute to the staff DAP with the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL), which was approved by the Minister of Finance to cater for retirement and death.
According to the National Social Security Fund Act, DAP is a special scheme which exempts Makerere employees from paying NSSF contributions.
The Standard Chartered Bank account was opened in 2006 after the University's top managers got access to the lecturers' savings, after terminating their DAP scheme contract with the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL).
In his latest report to Parliament, the Auditor General criticised Makerere University for banking the money on a Standard Charted bank account, a move that could amount to breach of contract and lead to the contributors bearing the costs.
MUASA also wants the university authorities to refund the money used to settle costs on a plot in Katanga and per diems paid to a university official who went for the Uganda North American Association convention in the USA last year.
The dons also want the remittance of internally generated funds to units as per the agreed percentages. Similarly, the lecturers want the leadership incentive allowances for professors and associate professors from May 2007 to January 2008 to be paid to the beneficiaries.
When contacted for comment, the University's Public Relations Officer, Mr Gilbert Kadilo, refused to comment, saying the university would come up with its official comment but did not say when.
"I don't have any official comment until when the university management makes an official stand on that condition," said Mr Kadilo. In the meeting, some lecturers had demanded that all the university management members be disbanded.
"I suggest that we call for the resignation or interdiction of all university management members since they have failed to run the university," said Prof. Kahwa from the Faculty of Arts.
However, his colleges disagreed with him saying this would divert them from the real issues. Makerere University is already suffering from a budget deficit of 12 billion for this academic year.
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