Minister for Local Government appeals to teachers to resume work

The minister for local government and Member of Parliament for Bunyangabu County, Kabarole District Hon. Adolf Mwesige has appealed to teachers to resume work. This was during the Orukurato Program on HITS FM, on Saturday 21^st September 2013. “I appeal to all teachers who are on strike to resume work and be patient as the government intervenes their issues. The government has set up a cabinet of six (6) ministers who are following up teachers’ issues and setting resolutions for them”. 

The Minister went ahead to discuss the cause of the strike. “The teachers’ strike started as early as July 2001 when teachers were seeking for 8(eight) grievances from the government. These included salary increment, Removal of taxes from teachers’ salary, eliminating teachers from Pay As You Earn tax, organizing of salary review board, special allowance to science teachers, special allowance to teachers in hard to reach areas, funds be passed to schools directly and  forming a scheme of  promoting teachers”.

Hon Adolf Mwesige, Minister of Local Governments

During the live radio discussion, Hon Adolf also explained how the government had gone ahead to make resolutions to some of the teachers grievances. “We made a 15% raise to the teacher’s salary in 2003, 30% salary raise to teachers in hard to reach areas, 30% salary raise to science teachers, scheme of promoting teachers was set and 4000 teachers were promoted last year to different levels and funds go directly to schools from the accounts office.   However, we decided that teachers have to pay taxes as any other citizens of this country do and so their tax issue was not heard by the government”.

The Minister emphasized how money in the budget was not enough to cover the 20% salary increment that is being demanded by teachers as promised by the government this year. “142(One hundred and forty two) billion shillings is needed to give teachers a 20% salary increment. However, this money is not available in the budget because the government chose to invest in other priorities like road construction and industrialization so that more revenue is generated to cover up salary increment. The government cannot borrow money for consumption in form of increasing teachers’ salary but instead invests it through constructing roads and rural electrification so as to generate more revenue”.  

Local citizens who participated in the live radio discussion through call ins were able to raise their issues and concerns about the ongoing teachers’ strike. “We are worried about the delay of our pupils resuming school at a time when they are almost sitting in for their final exams”, said Pascal from Kabirizi Sub County, Kyenjojo District. “The current teachers on strike do not mind much about teaching our children yet parents contribute some money to their salary. Government should recruit new teachers”, said Apollo from Kyenjojo District. “The government shouldn’t have promised teachers a salary increment if it was not sure about the budget”, said Yakubu from Busiita Parish, Bunyangabu County, Kabarole District.

Meanwhile, Hon MP appealed to teachers to be patient and resume work as government intervenes their issue by setting up a salary review board. He also added that politicians should not use the ongoing teachers strike as an opportunity to sell their views against the government.