Staff at Makerere University are considering taking industrial action at the start of the 2023/2024 academic year if the university staff appeals tribunal is not reinstated promptly. This decision was made during an emergency meeting of the university joint staff associations, including MUASA, MASA, and NUEI, Makerere branch.
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In a letter dated July 17 and addressed to the university council, the joint staff representatives expressed their concerns over the prolonged suspension of staff appeals and the resulting delays in staff promotions. They argued that this situation has created an unhealthy working environment. The staff appeals tribunal has been suspended for almost four months because its chairperson, Justice Patrick Tabaro, was deemed to lack the necessary qualifications.
The suspension of the tribunal has caused tension among the staff as it eliminates an important avenue for seeking justice in cases of dismissal. Historically, the tribunal has provided dismissed staff members with a platform to challenge decisions made by the appointments board and ensure a fair hearing.
Despite a directive from the university chancellor, Prof Ezra Suruma, to reinstate the tribunal, the university council has not taken any action as of the current date. The joint staff also expressed concerns about the delayed promotion of staff members who have completed their PhDs but have not been promoted to the position of lecturer.
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To support their claims, they referred to a previous rule by the appointments board which stated that assistant lecturers on permanent terms should pursue their PhD studies. Those who had not yet started their PhD studies were instructed to do so immediately and were given a four-year period to complete their studies. The rule also stated that individuals who failed to complete their studies within the given timeframe and without justifiable reasons should have their contracts terminated.
In conclusion, the potential industrial action by Makerere University staff stems from their dissatisfaction with the prolonged suspension of the staff appeals tribunal and the resulting delays in staff promotions. The staff are concerned about the lack of a fair and transparent process for addressing grievances and seek the immediate reinstatement of the tribunal to rectify the situation. They also highlight the need for timely promotions of staff members who have fulfilled the necessary qualifications for advancement.
The staff argues that the university management has been subjecting academic staff who have not yet completed their PhDs to harassment. According to the letter, the university management formed various committees to harass these staff members. Additionally, some staff members who had already completed their PhDs were also targeted, but the management was unaware of their completion due to poor record management systems.
The letter highlights a specific case where a staff member's contract was terminated for failing to complete a PhD. However, the staff member appealed the decision at the staff tribunal and won the appeal. Despite this, the staff member faced continued frustration until they eventually resigned, albeit reluctantly.
The lack of promotions has resulted in demotivation among the staff, leading to resignations. Some staff members have opted to join other universities where promotions are offered more promptly.
The joint staff association is calling for the immediate implementation of pending staff promotions and the allocation of 13 billion Ugandan Shillings for these promotions. They also demand the restoration of the university staff tribunal, emphasizing that staff members with pending cases are experiencing distress and uncertainty. If their demands are not met, they have warned that they will initiate a strike at the start of the academic year on August 18.
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Yusuf Kiranda, the Secretary of Makerere University, explained that the limited funds available have posed challenges in promoting several lecturers. Each promotion comes with higher pay, and the government provided 2.3 billion Ugandan Shillings in the previous financial year, which enabled the promotion of 50 lecturers. However, there is still a deficit of at least 2 billion Ugandan Shillings to promote all staff members awaiting promotion.
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