Talks to re-open Makerere flop
Sep 19, 2011
NEGOTIATIONS to re-open Makerere University this week are still in balance and the general assembly will not sit today as had been planned.
By Conan Businge
NEGOTIATIONS to re-open Makerere University this week are still in balance and the general assembly will not sit today as had been planned.
On Thursday last week, the university council resolved that its chairman, Dr. Peter Wana Etyem, meets all staff executives and thereafter all other staff today.
Wana met the academic, administrative and support staff leaders on Saturday, but the meeting for all staff will not be held today as planned.
By press time, no communication about the meeting had been issued. When New Vision contacted Etyem yesterday, he declined to comment on the progress of the negotiations.
“I will communicate when the time is right. I apologise for not being able to comment now,†he said.
However, the spokesperson of the academic staff, Louis Kakinda, said the general assembly could not be constituted “because there was nothing concrete to be presented before the staffâ€.
“We are still digesting the President’s letter. Whatever the President offered must be translated into what the council can commit itself to present to us,†Kakinda explained.
He added that the council was working out modalities to see how the President’s orders and promises could be implemented.
“It is in our interest as staff to have the university re-opened soon. We are doing all we can to make sure that negotiations are smooth, concrete and fast enough,†Kakinda told New Vision.
He added that the general assembly “may be convened soon†but declined to commit himself on the time.
“Council has to take some steps on our demands before we can go to the general assembly, and later have the university re-opened,†said Kakinda.
He also explained that the university was planning to have the NIC suit filed today. “Hopefully the pension funds will be deposited on the university account by Friday this week,†he said.
President Yoweri Museveni last week directed the finance ministry to immediately pay arrears to the university staff. He also ordered the payment of the sh16b which the National Insurance Corporation owes Makerere.
The President also instructed the Treasury to work with the university management to come up with a plan for salary increments.
He also promised to resolve the issue of imbalances in top-up allowances.
The state minister for higher education, John Muyingo, said the Government had instructed the council to have the university re-opened.
“But the council must agree with the general staff and their executives on the issues which led to the closure before the re-opening. We do not want Makerere to close just after it has re-opened,†Muyingo explained.
Sources, who attended the university council meeting on Thursday, revealed that the council was planning to re-open the university this Friday.
But this was on condition that the negotiations with the executives and staff are done, and consensus is reached.
The council meeting followed a Cabinet sitting which gave guidelines to be followed to stabilise the university.
The issue of top-up allowances created a tough debate in the council. While some members wanted the allowances scrapped, others wanted them maintained.
There was also a debate on whether the council chairman, Wana, should continue holding his seat. He was accused of failing to take charge of the situation, but instead left the staff association to control the strike.
The university closed about two weeks ago after its staff refused to resume work until their demands were settled.
NEGOTIATIONS to re-open Makerere University this week are still in balance and the general assembly will not sit today as had been planned.
On Thursday last week, the university council resolved that its chairman, Dr. Peter Wana Etyem, meets all staff executives and thereafter all other staff today.
Wana met the academic, administrative and support staff leaders on Saturday, but the meeting for all staff will not be held today as planned.
By press time, no communication about the meeting had been issued. When New Vision contacted Etyem yesterday, he declined to comment on the progress of the negotiations.
“I will communicate when the time is right. I apologise for not being able to comment now,†he said.
However, the spokesperson of the academic staff, Louis Kakinda, said the general assembly could not be constituted “because there was nothing concrete to be presented before the staffâ€.
“We are still digesting the President’s letter. Whatever the President offered must be translated into what the council can commit itself to present to us,†Kakinda explained.
He added that the council was working out modalities to see how the President’s orders and promises could be implemented.
“It is in our interest as staff to have the university re-opened soon. We are doing all we can to make sure that negotiations are smooth, concrete and fast enough,†Kakinda told New Vision.
He added that the general assembly “may be convened soon†but declined to commit himself on the time.
“Council has to take some steps on our demands before we can go to the general assembly, and later have the university re-opened,†said Kakinda.
He also explained that the university was planning to have the NIC suit filed today. “Hopefully the pension funds will be deposited on the university account by Friday this week,†he said.
President Yoweri Museveni last week directed the finance ministry to immediately pay arrears to the university staff. He also ordered the payment of the sh16b which the National Insurance Corporation owes Makerere.
The President also instructed the Treasury to work with the university management to come up with a plan for salary increments.
He also promised to resolve the issue of imbalances in top-up allowances.
The state minister for higher education, John Muyingo, said the Government had instructed the council to have the university re-opened.
“But the council must agree with the general staff and their executives on the issues which led to the closure before the re-opening. We do not want Makerere to close just after it has re-opened,†Muyingo explained.
Sources, who attended the university council meeting on Thursday, revealed that the council was planning to re-open the university this Friday.
But this was on condition that the negotiations with the executives and staff are done, and consensus is reached.
The council meeting followed a Cabinet sitting which gave guidelines to be followed to stabilise the university.
The issue of top-up allowances created a tough debate in the council. While some members wanted the allowances scrapped, others wanted them maintained.
There was also a debate on whether the council chairman, Wana, should continue holding his seat. He was accused of failing to take charge of the situation, but instead left the staff association to control the strike.
The university closed about two weeks ago after its staff refused to resume work until their demands were settled.