Earlier this week, the government released a new pay scale for government workers. However, the National Organization of Trade Unions said the new pay scale does not reflect the demand of the workers as presented to the government. As such, NOTU released its own salary enhancement projects reflecting steady increments up to 2021/2022 Financial Year. “The lowest cadre in government will be at 1.3 million by 2020. And that’s what we want to plan. You know we want to plan something which is affordable which we know that we can pay. This time nobody is going to tell us that there is no money.” Said, Wilson Owere – Chairman General, NOTU.
“The government maintains its position of a selective pay rise for public servants in this regard of this ongoing negotiation with the trade unions.” Said, Peter Werikhe – Secretary-General, NOTU. One of the Workers' MP Sam Lyomoki said parliament should decline to deliberate on the proposed salary increments because they do not reflect the needs and aspirations of the workers. “Whatever is being discussed in parliament is an illegality because the law provides that for everything that pertains to the budget, there should be proposals that should be laid before parliament. And therefore if parliament continues to discuss issues that are not laid down by the workers then that is an illegality and therefore parliament should not even proceed with that type of illegality.” Said, Sam Lyomoki – Workers’ MP.
Nurses and Midwives have also expressed their concerns about the possible taxes on their mega enhancements. “They had enhanced us to 600,000 for enrolled nurses but our position was to get 1 million for an enrolled nurse. But we realized the even the 600,000 that they have proposed they are going to tax making the enrolled nurse go back to almost 400,000.” Said, Emmanuel Mufumba – General Secretary, Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union. NOTU has still retaliated that they still plan to go ahead with their plan strike on 23rd June if the government continues sidelining them in the salary enhancement process. “I have taken the decision to condemn the unlawful and unfair conduct of the government and to re-affirm their unweaving commitment of the industrial action planned to take place on 23rd June 2018 unless a remedy is provided before that.” Said, Peter Werikhe – Secretary-General, NOTU. According to NOTU, they will continue fighting for equity in pay because the highest earning civil servant shouldn’t be earning six times more than the lowest.
