Makerere lecturers refute pay claims
Dec 11, 2006
MAKERERE University lecturers have refuted reports that they earn at least sh3m per month.
By Herbert Ssempogo
MAKERERE University lecturers have refuted reports that they earn at least sh3m per month.
They also denied claims that they earn as much as sh20m in non-salary allowances.
Makerere University Academic Staff association (MUASA) chief Dr. Augustus Nuwagaba yesterday said the allegation could not be justified because Makerere has less than 20 heads of department, who receive an allowance of between sh400,000 and sh800,000 per month.
“No one at the university is earning sh3m. If we were earning sh3m, it would be illogical for us to claim a basic salary of sh2.8m for a professor,†Nuwagaba said.
The reports were based on cheap propaganda meant to discredit their demands, he asserted.
“They were meant to hoodwink the public into thinking that we get a lot of money. It is very unfortunate. The issue of the academic staff is a genuine one,†he stated.
Nuwagaba was addressing the press at the University Guest House.
Supporting Nuwagaba, Dr. Steven Nyanzi said, “I am from the department of Chemistry but no one gets sh3m every month. If one wanted to show lecturers’ earnings, they should have showed a given period not just a month. It would be a case of Butabika (Mental Hospital) if you earn that amount and then strike over sh2.8m.â€
Press reports last week said the lectures get a take home of about sh3m and sh20m in non-salary allowances.
The over 1,000 MUASA members have been on strike since last month.
MUASA secretary general Dr. Chris Tuhirirwe said the cited figures were not received by every member of staff.
“Some of them are tagged to responsibilities such as deanship, headship and coordination, which are not done by every member of staff,†Tuhirirwe said.
“In addition to the normal gross salary, the figures include top up allowances, as well as other allowances and payment for teaching on private programmes.
This money is not uniform, even for the same person per month.â€
He argued that if someone had been lecturing on the private undergraduate and post graduate programmes, in addition to other responsibilities and allowances, their salary would appear so much once paid.
“Besides, it should be understood that the lecturer, under whose name the amount of money appears, does not take all of it. In some faculties, there is co-teaching of courses as well as co-marking and other shared activities.
“In such a case, only one member of staff, preferably the course coordinator, claims the pay and shares it out with all the other colleagues according to one’s input,†Tuhirirwe added.
MAKERERE University lecturers have refuted reports that they earn at least sh3m per month.
They also denied claims that they earn as much as sh20m in non-salary allowances.
Makerere University Academic Staff association (MUASA) chief Dr. Augustus Nuwagaba yesterday said the allegation could not be justified because Makerere has less than 20 heads of department, who receive an allowance of between sh400,000 and sh800,000 per month.
“No one at the university is earning sh3m. If we were earning sh3m, it would be illogical for us to claim a basic salary of sh2.8m for a professor,†Nuwagaba said.
The reports were based on cheap propaganda meant to discredit their demands, he asserted.
“They were meant to hoodwink the public into thinking that we get a lot of money. It is very unfortunate. The issue of the academic staff is a genuine one,†he stated.
Nuwagaba was addressing the press at the University Guest House.
Supporting Nuwagaba, Dr. Steven Nyanzi said, “I am from the department of Chemistry but no one gets sh3m every month. If one wanted to show lecturers’ earnings, they should have showed a given period not just a month. It would be a case of Butabika (Mental Hospital) if you earn that amount and then strike over sh2.8m.â€
Press reports last week said the lectures get a take home of about sh3m and sh20m in non-salary allowances.
The over 1,000 MUASA members have been on strike since last month.
MUASA secretary general Dr. Chris Tuhirirwe said the cited figures were not received by every member of staff.
“Some of them are tagged to responsibilities such as deanship, headship and coordination, which are not done by every member of staff,†Tuhirirwe said.
“In addition to the normal gross salary, the figures include top up allowances, as well as other allowances and payment for teaching on private programmes.
This money is not uniform, even for the same person per month.â€
He argued that if someone had been lecturing on the private undergraduate and post graduate programmes, in addition to other responsibilities and allowances, their salary would appear so much once paid.
“Besides, it should be understood that the lecturer, under whose name the amount of money appears, does not take all of it. In some faculties, there is co-teaching of courses as well as co-marking and other shared activities.
“In such a case, only one member of staff, preferably the course coordinator, claims the pay and shares it out with all the other colleagues according to one’s input,†Tuhirirwe added.