The Joint Staff Association on Monday resolved to withdraw their service as they heightened demands for Shs12.6bn salary arrears to be harmonised.
Makerere University’s management has issued a detailed response to the Joint Staff Associations’ decision to withdraw their services.
The staff’s action was triggered by dissatisfaction with ongoing salary harmonisation efforts, but the university’s management insists that this withdrawal of labour is unwarranted and unjustified.
In a statement signed by the Acting Vice Chancellor and Academic Registrar, Professor Mukadasi Buyinza, the university clarified that all concerns regarding salary harmonisation are being addressed by the relevant authorities.
“Management has held discussions with the staff associations, and the University Council has made corresponding decisions to address these issues. The withdrawal of labour, therefore, is not warranted,” Prof Buyinza said.
The main issue raised by the Joint Staff Associations revolves around the salary harmonisation process. For years, the staff have been claiming arrears and in April, the government paid Shs12.6bn for the same.
While other public varsities promptly cleared their staff, Makerere has yet to complete the process, with University Council chair Dr Lorna Magera saying theirs is a complex institution with too many staff to sort.
On Monday, the joint staff held a general assembly at which they accused the management of demoting many staff in a restructuring process.
“A few staff that have been harmonised, are being given letters with scales but without the figures which we equally construe as a ploy to defraud staff,” the joint staff said in an October 7 letter to Dr Magara,
The joint staff, which comprises the Makerere University Academic Staff Association, Makerere University Administrative Staff Association, and National Union of Education Institutions (Makerere branch), has sent strong demands to the management.
Among the conditition, the staff said all monies for salary harmonisation totalling Shs 12,636,589,200 be paid to the beneficiaries as computed by management, approved by the University Council and approved by the government in the FY2024/2025 Budget with arrears.
“All decisions of the Appointments Board demoting staff to lower ranks should be rescinded immediately,” they said.
They said all the salary harmonisation letters already issued should be rescinded, corrected to include the salary amounts at all given salary scales.
“Staff currently occupying higher or senior positions should not be disadvantaged by being lowered in ranks as a result of harmonization.”
They also demanded that the staff members in upgraded positions should be paid the upgraded salary scales without the higher salary being contingent on meeting the new qualification requirements, that were not required during their respective recruitments and or promotions for some members.
They said new qualifications as guided by the Ministry of Public Service should not apply to staff in post because such cannot apply retrospectively.
University contests position
However, the university management has contested some of the claims of the joint staff, including stressing that teaching staff are not catered for.
“The harmonisation exercise concerns 1,386 staff members, specifically 933 support staff and 453 administrative staff. Teaching staff are not affected by this process,” Buyinza said.
He said the Ministry of Public Service provided standardised guidelines for all public universities, which are being followed by Makerere University.
According to him, this process involves adjusting salary scales to ensure uniform pay across universities, based on job titles and grades.
“The staff associations have unfortunately circulated falsehoods, such as the allegation that certain officials introduced new qualification requirements midway through the harmonisation process. This is not true,” Buyinza said.
He clarified that the Ministry of Public Service had already provided the qualification guidelines necessary for the upgraded salary scales, and these guidelines were in place long before the current stage of the harmonisation process.
“Staff leaders have been informed of these requirements multiple times,” he noted.
But Associate Professor Jude Ssempebwa, the general secretary of Muasa and one of the signatories to the industrial action declaration letters, told the Nile Post on Tuesday evening that harmonised salaries were not paid at the end of September as management promised and that this was a reason for their action.
“Can someone say this is not true?” he asked.
“When monies for harmonisation were being procured, there was no recourse to qualification. That only came later, and that is what staff are talking about. This is incontrovertible!”
Impact of Harmonisation on Positions
The statement also touched on the impact of harmonisation on various positions at the university, revealing that 464 staff members, including clerical officers, cleaners, and security guards, were affected by the abolition of certain roles.
In response, these staff have been reassigned to other available positions, given a grace period to meet new qualifications, or considered for retirement.
Management outlined that the Ministry of Public Service has provided guidelines for handling staff in abolished positions, including offering alternative roles where possible or retiring staff with severance packages.
“The staff in abolished roles have been redistributed into other positions within the university where vacancies exist. Those who do not meet the qualification requirements have been offered a grace period to acquire the necessary academic credentials,” the statement read.
Another challenge in the harmonisation process has been the verification of academic qualifications. Prof Buyinza revealed that 620 staff members do not have the minimum qualifications required for the new salary scales, and 13 staff members have been found to have submitted forged documents.
“The academic verification process has caused delays, but it is necessary for ensuring that the process is transparent and that qualifications are authentic. To date, 242 staff members are still waiting for their academic records to be verified,” he added.
The university said it was pushing forward with the salary harmonisation, upgrading the positions of those who meet the necessary qualifications, while others have been given time to fulfil academic requirements without losing their current salary grades.
“Staff whose positions were upgraded but who do not meet the necessary qualifications will be re-designated to roles that match their qualifications. Alternatively, they will have a grace period to attain the needed qualifications,” Buyinza assured.
He urged staff to return to their duties, reassuring them that the salary harmonisation issues are being actively addressed and that no further disruption to services is necessary.
“Management calls upon staff to continue performing their duties as we work towards resolving these issues in a way that is beneficial to all parties involved,” Buyinza reiterated.
As Makerere University continues to navigate the complexities of salary harmonisation, the management remains firm in its stance that the process is being handled responsibly and that the staff associations’ concerns are being taken seriously.