Protests as Uganda’s president sworn in for fourth time
Government to enter into meaningful negotiations on teacher pay rise
Education International calls on its member organisations to take action to support the wage claim of the Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU). Their claim has been met by heavy handed pressure from the government with teacher unionists suffering intimidation, victimisation and harassment for requesting appropriate collective bargaining.
Background Information
Over the years, UNATU and its leader, EI Executive Board member Teopista Birungi Mayanja, have been at the forefront of groups calling for major improvements in the quality of the public education system and the welfare of teachers.
The teacher union initiated a dialogue with the government in April 2011. Deploring the absence of progress, UNATU’s representatives met with Uganda's President, Yoweri Museveni, on 28 July. The President convened an inter-ministerial committee to address UNATU’s demands. After a month of negotiations, talks failed when the committee proposed a pay increase considered too low by UNATU. Other key demands include a collective bargaining agreement and the designation of an agency to take care of teacher issues.
Failing to reach an agreement on any of these issues, UNATU members opted for strike action starting on 5 September to coincide with the beginning of the new school year.
The strike action and demonstrations across the country were met with heavy police repression as well as threats and sanctions. UNATU’s report to EI includes teacher unionist dismissals, arbitrary arrests, lock ups in police cells, unfair transfers and demotions.
UNATU has received the support from Parliament members, civil society organisations, the media and the community, all of whom support UNATUS’s struggle for quality public education.
What you can do:
1. Send appeals, in English or your own language, urging the Ugandan authorities to:
- Engage in respectful dialogue regarding UNATU’s claims for fair and adequate teacher salaries, improved quality of education, and for collective bargaining procedure to be established;
- Respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of teachers in accordance with international standards related to collective bargaining;
- Desist from blocking Ugandan Parliament’s proposals on budget reallocations towards the teachers’ salary enhancement;
- Refrain from threatening teachers with dismissals, replacements and eviction from school houses because of their appeal for a fair salary increase.
APPEALS TO:
Ugandan Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi ps@opm.go.ug
Minister Of Education and Sports, Jessica Alupo
mailto:pro@education.go.ug or akibenge@education.go.ug
Copies to:
- Diplomatic representatives of Uganda accredited to your country
- EI (headoffice@ei-ie.org or fax +32 2 224 0606).
2. Encourage your individual union members to send online messages to the authorities through the EI website: www.ei-ie.org/uaas/issues_actions.
3. Express your solidarity with UNATU, headoffice@unatu.org
4. Give visibility to the situation of teachers in Uganda and the online appeal in your magazine, on your website, during meetings and via other appropriate means.
EI will of course keep you updated on all development. For additional information or to discuss possible action, contact the EI Human and Trade Union Rights Coordinator.
EI is grateful for your solidarity in support of our Ugandan colleagues.
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Protests as Uganda’s president sworn in for fourth time
Human rights groups in Uganda say nine people have been killed and hundreds injured and arrested by police in demonstrations against the regime.
Amid widespread protests, the country’s president Yoweri Museveni has been sworn in for a fourth term. This is despite widespread claims the poll in February was fraudulent.
In January this year David Kato, a Ugandan gay rights campaigner who worked for Sexual Minorities Uganda Group (SMUG) was beaten to death after he sued a newspaper which outed him as a homosexual.
Uganda's Rolling Stone newspaper published the photographs of several people it said were gay, including Mr Kato, with the headline ‘Hang them’.
In Uganda homosexual acts are illegal and can be punished by prison terms of up to 14 years.
One MP has tried to bring in a Bill in the Ugandan Parliament calling for the death penalty for people engaging in homosexual activity.
At the TUC LGBT conference in June delegates are expected to pass a motion calling on the Coalition Government review its policies and practices on LGBT asylum matters.
It is also expected to urge the TUC to raise awareness for the work of SMUG and UK Black Pride’s work for LGBT rights in all communities.
