Gulu University academic staff have laid down their tools in a fresh demand for salary increment.
Under their umbrella body, Gulu University Academic Staff Association (GUASA) composed of over 250 members, the lectures on Monday 1st March 2021 laid down their tools.
Carlos Ojok, the GUASA General Secretary told Acholi Times that they cannot offer their services to students when their demands are still fulfilled.
He disclosed that the teaching staff will report to their duty station but will not enter lecture rooms adding that the strike will last until their demand is addressed.
Ojok explained that the strike stems from failure by the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Finance to increase their salaries as directed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in 2015.
He added that a communication has been made to the Forum for Academic Staff Association in Public Universities (FASPU) chaired by Deus Kamunyu and the Vice Chancellor Gulu University.
Walter Okot, the GUASA Chairperson noted that the decision was adopted by the association`s General Assembly which met on Friday last week and deliberated over disparities in the salary enhancement since 2019.
FASPU Chairperson, Deus Kamunyu said that the academic staff are demanding that the government release Shillings 129.24 billion for full enhancement of their salaries from senior lectures and below all public universities noting that the strikes will go across all public universities.
In 2015 President Yoweri Museveni promised to increase salaries of teaching staff in all public universities. The development would see a professor earn Shillings 15 million and a senior lecturer 12.2 million.
However, the government phased the implementation of the directive over a period of five years. In the 2020/2021 Financial Year, the government released Shillings 50 billion which was only meant for professors and associate professors who were paid the 100 per cent increment of Shillings 15 million but for the lecturers` payment was not realized todate.
