UGANDAN TEACHERS GO ON A SIT-DOWN STRIKE

In 2011-2012 financial year, Teachers demanded for 100% salary increament through the Umbrella organisation UNATU.Through negotiations, the Government of the republic of Uganda accepted to give them( Teachers) 50% salary increament in three instalments whereby 15% was given in that financial year (2011-2012) making a teacher’s salary rise to 270,000 uganda shillings equivalent to 103.8 USdollars per month and the Government agreed to to offer 20% in the next financial year 2012-2013.The 15% would be made in the financial year 2013-2014.

Therefore the core cause of the Teachers’ SIT-DOWN STRIKE is due to the Government failure to meet the 20% salary increament it pledged to offer during this financial year, as reason that there is no money because they ( The Government of Uganda) budget according to priorities said by the minister of Education and Sports.

However Parents, pupils, students and well-wishers feel it is high time the Government met the Teacher’s demands as even the 20% Teachers are demanding for is even too too little for a Ugandan Teacher to take care of his or her Family.Teachers say after their children have completed Primary education , they are unable to educate their children in Higher Institutions of learning due to lack of school fees and other school materials.Sometimes they are forced to get Bank loans which become a burden for them to pay due to the high bank interest rates.

Generally, the Government has taken Teachers in Uganda to be the lowest working class being that all Govarnment officials take their children to private schools because they can afford to meet the requirements for their children (school fees etc).

The government has tried to intimidate the Teachers to the extent the minister of Education and Sports warned to sack all the Teachers demanding salary increament which is totally against their rights as workers but the Teachers have resisted all those threats.NB.Shockingly its Ugand Peoples Defence Force(UPDF) now conducting lessons in schools which has left everyone in the country wondering whether the soldiers are teaching MILITARY SCIENCE or SCHOOL CURRICULUM!!!!!!?????????.

UGANDA ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT (U.A.C.E) is strongly against the Government reaction towards the matter, 100% supporting the Teachers and calling upon for International intervention please.