A new survey has indicated that the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Service salary structure for academic staff 2020/21 is unfair and must be revised immediately.
The survey was conducted among public universities teaching staff after reports of inequalities in the distribution of UGX 50 million provided by government to enhance salaries.
In a survey of accept / reject the distribution i.e. YES / NO and on aggregate, 90.1% of staff in public universities voted for reject.
Isaac Mugume, the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) Spokesperson says staff at the rank of Professor seem to be the only ones welcoming the distribution as it turned out that 6 out of 8 Professors in all public universities welcomed the distribution.
On the other hand, 72.7% of their counterparts (Associate Professor) agreed with the lower ranks to reject the structure.
Generally, 89.9%, 60.7%, 95.0%, 62.9% and 76.2% of Senior Lecturers, Lecturers, Assistant Lecturers, Teaching Assistants and Academic Technicians respectively rejected the distribution. The opinion is largely the same in the different public universities.
In April this year, the Ministry of Education and Sports released a salary distribution schedule indicating a significant increment in the salaries for public universities’ Vice-Chancellors, Professors, and Associate Professors compared to Senior lecturers, lecturers and assistant lecturers.
According to the scale, Vice-Chancellors will earn a monthly gross of UGX 20 million from the current UGX. 12.2 million while their deputies will earn UGX. 17.5 million.
Professors will receive UGX. 15.6 million from the current UGX. 9.9 million while Associate Professors will receive UGX. 14.8 million.
Senior lecturers will receive a pay rise of 592,990 on top of their current pay of UGX.8.4 million Shillings.
But this leaves a gap of over five million Shillings between an Associate Professor and a Senior Lecturer in public universities.
Full statement
Staff’s Voice on the unfair MoES/MoPS Salary Structure for Academic Staff 2020/21
The FASPU meeting sitting on 26th May, 2020 accepted the 50bn for enhancement of salaries for academic staff 2020/21, but disagreed with the distribution among different ranks.
The FASPU position was also adopted by MUASA EGA, sitting on 27th May 2020.
In a survey of accept / reject the distribution i.e. YES / NO and on aggregate, 90.1% of staff in public universities voted for reject.
Staff at the rank of Professor seem to be the only ones welcoming the distribution as it turned out that 6 out of 8 Professors in all public universities welcomed the distribution.
On the other hand, 72.7% of their counterparts (Associate Professor) agreed with the lower ranks to reject the structure.
Generally, 89.9%, 60.7%, 95.0%, 62.9% and 76.2% of Senior Lecturers, Lecturers, Assistant Lecturers, Teaching Assistants and Academic Technicians respectively rejected the distribution. The opinion is largely the same in the different public universities.
The opinion suggests that the MoPS/MoES salary distribution is unfair and unpopular.
Moving forward, we call upon all concerned stakeholders to act now in order to avert any likely crisis as the government reopens universities.
Isaac Mugume, PhD
MUASA PR & CAES Rep
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
