By Ben Okiror

KYAMBOGO University lecturers have gone on a sit down strike over salaries.
The lecturers accuse the university management of unfairly reducing their salaries this month and refusing to address their grievances.

The lecturers want their salaries restored to the original figures and reimbursement of the ammounts by which it was reduced in February.

Kyambogo University Academic Staff Association(KYUASA) wants salaries of its 331 members reinstated. The chairman KYUASA, Victor Locoro, said the strike continues until their grievances are addressed.

“The university management should maintain the salaries,” he said.
Lecturers who spoke to Saturday Vision said the university council had promised to restore the previous salary structure but made a U-turn. Daniel Ndawula, a history lecturer said they had learnt that the management will pay them the new salaries for the month of February.”
According to the university Public Relations Officer, James Bulenzibuto, the staff grievances stem from the management decision to implement the Auditor General’s order. The Auditor General ordered the university to revise lecturers’ salaries based on scales last year.

“A committee consisting of representatives from KYUASA, university management and council was set up in early February to find a solution to the grievances,” said Bulenzibuto.

However, the KYUASA general secretary, Ben Enjiku said the resolution to strike “was poorly conceived and internalised”. In a circular to the staff and students, Enjiku calls for the continuation of lectures “until an official communication is made.”

He said that the decision to strike was rushed and led to impulsive voting.