Makerere Vc to Striking Lecturers: No money For Incentives
Submitted by Christopher Tusiime on
Makerere University vice chancellor Prof John Ddumba-Ssentamu has appealed to striking academic staff to resume working, arguing that the university currently has no money to pay their incentives.
"As University management, we can't promise to pay this money now. We are waiting for government to help us. I appeal to all lecturers to be patient with us as we arrange to get their Incentive arrears," the economics professor said in a phone interview with Journalism@mak.
Yesterday, the chairman Makerere University Academic Staff Association (Muasa), Dr Muhammad Kiggundu held a meeting with other lecturers where they uninamously agreed to stop teaching students on evening program.
In the meeting, lecturers opposed the university council move to reduce their salary incentives by 75 per cent, with the instition's management arguing that the same people had already received a salary ehnancement from governemnt and should be patient.
After the meeting Kiggundu wrote a letter and addressed it to the university council chairman, Dr Charles Wana-Etyem, saying thus;
"The Makerere University Academic Staff Association general meeting sitting today 5th September 2016 received and after sittings dismissed your latter dated 1st Septemeber, 2016 tittled: Sustainability of incentive allowance. The meeting noted with concern the plight of Makerere University Council in the payment of the incentive. After due deliberation, the meeting resolved as follows.
(i) That all members of Makerere University staff association will with immediate effect from tonight work only from 8:00 am to 5:00pm from Monday to Friday.
"That all incentive arrears be paid fully by 30th September 2016," reads the letter in part.
According to Kiggundu, they are demanding for incentive arrears that have been unpaid since February this year.
One of the lecturers who requested for anonymity said the university management claims private students, who normally study on evening programs and weekends, don't pay.
"We shall only be teaching government [sponsored] students who study during the day because the government pays our salaries, but evening, no," the source said.
But according to Prof Ddumba-Ssentamu, "the university can't have money and refuse to pay".
He added that the university council will soon hold a meeting to see a way forward.
For today, some students on evening were seen attending day lectures.
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