Tutors and instructors in health training institutions have resolved to go on strike over “government’s chronic failure to address” their grievances.
“Health tutors and clinical instructors stay home, MEA Uganda for you, with you. Now or never. Together we can,” reads a message sent to all members of the Medical Educationists’ Association (MEA) seen by this publication.
The strike which they said starts today comes just three days after some students started reporting to different health training intuitions following six month hiatus due to Coronavirus pandemic.
The industrial action comes nearly a month after chairman MEA, Mr Aeron Namaasa wrote to the ministry of Education and Sports concerning the reinstatement of Health Tutors to the ‘Medical salary scale’, as per the recommendations of the inter-ministerial reports of February and July 2019.
“We are concerned about our grievances given the risks the health tutors and clinical instructors are exposed to while on duty. We hereby call upon your office (MoES) to expedite the address of our grievances for a common good,” said Mr Namaasa.
Daily Monitor online has also learnt that a Friday October 2, 2020 meeting between MEA and Ministry of Education and Sports officials ended with no positive yields. Advertisement
In a letter seen by this reporter, the Education ministry said government will not pay public officers in accordance with the Pay Policy Targets approved by cabinet in 2017.
“In the FY 2020/21, government was unable to increase salary for health tutors and clinical instructors, similarly for other public servants due to resource constraints, in part occasioned by Covid-19 pandemic and the need to attend to national emergencies like floods and locusts invasion,” reads a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Mr Alex Kakooza.
When contacted, the commissioner Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) Ms Safina Musenne who supersvises the institutions acknowledged the letter and said it is the position that has been taken by the MoES.
“I also wanted to refer you to that letter because it is the Ministry’s stand on that matter,” Ms Musenne told this reporter on Monday morning.
According to Kakooza, officials from the Education ministry will engage Ministries of Public Service and Finance, Planning and Economic Development officials to obtain additional resources to enhance the salaries of health tutors and clinical instructors to the same level as their counterparts in the health sector.
Background
According to the chairperson of the delegation negotiating with government, Dr Paul Kasigaire, the issue of salary disparities was initially raised in a meeting on parallel structure for medical health tutors and health workers under BTVET institutions on Thursday June 27, 2019.
“Following a series of futile meetings, negotiations between health tutors, clinical instructors and government officials from the Ministry of Public Service reached a verdict on July 29, 2019 that Health tutors and Clinical instructors be paid as medical workers,” Dr Kasigaire told the Daily Monitor.
Vowing not to return to duty, Dr Kasigaire, who is also a member of MEA said he will join his colleagues in solidarity.
No hope
In May 2020, government released a new pay structure showing a proposed pay enhancement of more than 60% for public servants especially graduate scientists and professionals.
Minister for Public Service, Mr Wilson Muruli Mukasa said government was planning to effect a ‘big’ salary pay raise for public servants within the next three financial years.
However, the structure omitted a pay raise for health tutors and clinical instructors over that particular period.
During parliament’s plenary session on June 2, 2020, Mr Muruli told parliament that salary or benefits increment are being done in phases noting that the plan for this year covers only university staffs.
Contrary to that, parliament on that same date passed the Administration of the Judiciary Bill. This also angered health tutors and clinical instructors.
President Museveni, a strong advocate for scientists, assented to that bill on June 19, 2020.
On Sunday October 4, 2020, Makerere University Business School’s (MUBS) teaching staff declared a sit-down strike citing failure by the government to resolve a ten -year-long dispute over salary disparities.
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