Makerere lecturers pay frozen
Nov 14, 2006
THE Makerere University Council has frozen all non-salary allowances to striking lecturers and asked them to vacate office and hand over university property.
By Fortunate Ahimbisibwe
& Herbert Ssempogo
THE Makerere University Council has frozen all non-salary allowances to striking lecturers and asked them to vacate office and hand over university property.
The over 1,000 lecturers have also been barred from accessing other university facilities including computer laboratories, lecture rooms and vehicles.
An e-mail sent yesterday to all academic units said all staff should hand over office keys and vehicles to the Estates department.
“The University Council resolved as follows - that university property held by members of the academic staff be surrendered to the university; that websites be closed to all members of academic staff; clearance of academic staff for official travel be suspended; that no top-up allowances should be paid during the period of closure. All staff should not access their offices,†university secretary Sam Akorimo said in the e-mail.
The council also resolved that a committee of deans be constituted for further consultations in the management of the strike.
Akorimo said the time lost on the academic programmes would be compensated when the university reopens. He did not state when this would be.
The university also asked hostel owners to ensure that students leave, fearing that they might re-organise and cause chaos.
“The grounds for that was students might re-group and start causing problems. But that is very bad since it will further inconvenience thousands of students,†Guild president Gerald Karuhanga said.
A source said lecturers’ university e-mail accounts were disabled in the afternoon, although they will continue getting salaries and living in university houses.
A top university official said most academic staff, especially heads of department, earn more from top- up allowances than their salaries. Management said the directive would not affect administrative staff, who were asked to continue working.
Meanwhile, the students, through Opwonya and Company advocates, have filed a notice of intention to sue the Attorney General and the chairman of the University Council.
About 36,799 students intend to sue for breach of contract and failure to resolve MUASA’s concerns.
They are demanding that the university be re-opened and that the Government pays them sh2m each in general damages as well as sh38m for costs of the suit.
Meanwhile, medical school dean Dr. Sam Luboga met medical school lecturers at the Davis lecture theatre at Mulago Hospital and wooed them to continue lecturing.
A source, however, said the lecturers refused to return, saying they were under Makerere, which was closed on Sunday. By press time Luboga was meeting postgraduate medical students, who had threatened to join their Makerere counterparts.
Dr. Michael Bukenya, their leader, said it was likely that they would lay down their tools.
MUASA chairman Dr. Augustus Nuwagaba said, “The matter is between the council and Government. If they decide our concerns can be addressed, we are willing to come and teach. But our position will not change unless our demands are considered.â€
Ends
& Herbert Ssempogo
THE Makerere University Council has frozen all non-salary allowances to striking lecturers and asked them to vacate office and hand over university property.
The over 1,000 lecturers have also been barred from accessing other university facilities including computer laboratories, lecture rooms and vehicles.
An e-mail sent yesterday to all academic units said all staff should hand over office keys and vehicles to the Estates department.
“The University Council resolved as follows - that university property held by members of the academic staff be surrendered to the university; that websites be closed to all members of academic staff; clearance of academic staff for official travel be suspended; that no top-up allowances should be paid during the period of closure. All staff should not access their offices,†university secretary Sam Akorimo said in the e-mail.
The council also resolved that a committee of deans be constituted for further consultations in the management of the strike.
Akorimo said the time lost on the academic programmes would be compensated when the university reopens. He did not state when this would be.
The university also asked hostel owners to ensure that students leave, fearing that they might re-organise and cause chaos.
“The grounds for that was students might re-group and start causing problems. But that is very bad since it will further inconvenience thousands of students,†Guild president Gerald Karuhanga said.
A source said lecturers’ university e-mail accounts were disabled in the afternoon, although they will continue getting salaries and living in university houses.
A top university official said most academic staff, especially heads of department, earn more from top- up allowances than their salaries. Management said the directive would not affect administrative staff, who were asked to continue working.
Meanwhile, the students, through Opwonya and Company advocates, have filed a notice of intention to sue the Attorney General and the chairman of the University Council.
About 36,799 students intend to sue for breach of contract and failure to resolve MUASA’s concerns.
They are demanding that the university be re-opened and that the Government pays them sh2m each in general damages as well as sh38m for costs of the suit.
Meanwhile, medical school dean Dr. Sam Luboga met medical school lecturers at the Davis lecture theatre at Mulago Hospital and wooed them to continue lecturing.
A source, however, said the lecturers refused to return, saying they were under Makerere, which was closed on Sunday. By press time Luboga was meeting postgraduate medical students, who had threatened to join their Makerere counterparts.
Dr. Michael Bukenya, their leader, said it was likely that they would lay down their tools.
MUASA chairman Dr. Augustus Nuwagaba said, “The matter is between the council and Government. If they decide our concerns can be addressed, we are willing to come and teach. But our position will not change unless our demands are considered.â€
Ends