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Uganda: Makerere Lecturers to Strike
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New Vision (Kampala)
24 July 2008
Posted to the web 25 July 2008
Fortunate Ahimbisibwe
Kampala
Makerere University lecturers have resolved not to teach when the semester opens a fortnight today.
They said the university had failed to refund Sh1b in staff pension and to release sh3b meant for salary enhancement.
The academic staff association assistant general secretary, Gilbert Gumoshabe, yesterday said over 600 lecturers, who attended the general assembly on Wednesday, said they would not be available when the semester opens on August 9.
"If our pension fund is not refunded, we will not start teaching when the semester begins," he stated. It was not proper, they argued, to open the semester because private students would not have enough time to cover their courses.
The students are yet to be admitted, two weeks to the opening.
The lecturers are also protesting a move by the university to have all the staff appointed on contract.
The Cabinet earlier this year said staff should be appointed on contract.
In a July 23 letter to the chairman of the university council, Matthew Rukikaire, the association said their earlier grievances had not been addressed.
"It was, therefore, unanimously resolved that our earlier resolutions of not opening the university for the 2008/09 academic year be maintained until our concerns are addressed," said the document signed by acting chairman, Dr. Paddy Musana.
The academics also want allowance for heads of department to be re-instated.
Efforts to talk to the vice-chancellor, Prof. Livingstone Luboobi, or Rukikaire failed as they were reported to be in a crisis meeting.
Some lecturers are also protesting the move by the university to cut the amount of money sent to the faculties, arguing this would cripple their operations.
In March, the Government released sh3b for salary enhancement but the university management said they had already improved the lecturers' pay from the internally generated funds.
In February, the lecturers went on a 10-day strike, protesting the lack of teaching materials and mismanagement of funds.
The university council has decided to merge the day and evening programmes at the university.
All students will now study in the evening. The move, according to university management, is to cut costs.
However, staff say with the limited space, congestion will strain the facilities. Some courses, including Bachelor of Social Sciences and Bachelor of Arts have over 1,500 students.
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Under the new arrangement, lecturers will be paid once unlike previously when they would earn money for teaching private students and also salaries for teaching government-sponsored students.
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