Arts Teachers Suspend Strike after Meeting Museveni

Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) has suspended the teachers’ strike after meeting President Museveni and Education Minister Hon Janet Kataaha Museveni.

“We decided to suspend the industrial action as we continue to engage government for the good of our learners because we don’t want them to lose a lot and the teachers themselves,” UNATU General Secretary, Filbert Baguma, is quoted as saying after the Kololo meeting.

“After the meeting with the president, we had to come back here and consult ourselves on the next step we should take,” he added.

Baguma revealed that they deliberated for three hours and agreed that the teachers return to class starting Wednesday (July 6).

After the Kololo meeting, President Museveni said on his twitter handle that government has a strategy and no one should disrupt it.

“We are aware of the issues and we are committed to handling them,” he noted, adding, “Therefore, my advice to the teachers is that they should go back and teach.”

He assured them that while government acknowledges the issues raised by the Arts teachers, it is also aware of salary issues from other workers; the army, Police officers, etc who are equally important to the growth and development of this country.

“We have provided a position as government and pledged to competitively remunerate workers guided by a science-led strategy. This does not mean we have forgotten others, but we are choosing to prioritise the few and others can come later. We must finish one problem at a time.”

Teachers of arts subjects went on strike on June 15 citing discriminatory salary enhancement in favour of teachers of science subjects.

The strike also sucked in primary school teachers.