UNION CLASH: UNATU ACCUSES UPHTU OF UNDERMINING INDUSTRIAL ACTION

 

Mr. Filbert Baguma-UNATU’s General Secretary (Courtesy photo)
By Martin Anguyo

Arua City

The leadership of the Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) has strongly responded to recent claims by the Uganda Professional Humanity Teachers Union (UPHTU), following reports that arts teachers have distanced themselves from the ongoing industrial action.

UNATU insists that UPHTU operates under its umbrella and therefore has no justification for opting out of the strike.

Mr. Filbert Baguma, UNATU’s General Secretary, dismissed UPHTU’s assertions of being unaware of the industrial action, calling them baseless and a mere attempt to gain public attention. “Why would another union claim not to know? Are they really part of our structures? And members of the UNATU are not in school, they are at home and therefore, nobody should claim that for us we are not joining, that is idle talk, once industrial action meets its objectives, we shall start planning other things,” said Filbert.

Ms. Akello Teopista-UPHTU’s president (right) (Courtesy photo)

In contrast, Ms. Akello Teopista, the Acting President of UPHTU, stated that there is no need for arts teachers to participate in the strike, suggesting that their concerns are not aligned with the current action.

“The ongoing industrial action being said by UNATU, is not called for the arts teachers because particularly for us, we went to engage with various stakeholders of the government, there is no need for us to participate in the industrial action because our negotiations are still ongoing, so I am encouraging the arts teachers please go to class and teach as we are here negotiating for their salary enhancement” said Teopista.

Meanwhile, several arts teachers have voiced their opinions on the matter, adding further complexity to the unfolding debate.

“There is nothing that has come in our pocket, we have a lot of challenges which government has kept quiet over, we are yet sitting at home and we shall go to our various fields and do our farming activities” a concerned arts teacher said.

“What we don’t like here is the disparities in salary, this gap has to be closed because we are also human beings, if you have nothing to do as a teacher, and you sweep your computer 10 times a day” another teacher angrily said.

This controversy comes shortly after UPHTU suspended its three-week industrial action following a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni in July of which the government committed a 20% tax waiver on gross pay for all teachers, UGX 20 billion SACCO support fund specifically for Arts teachers and free tertiary education for children of Arts teachers.