By KT Reporter
The Ministry of Public Service has summoned leaders of the Uganda Local Government Workers Union (ULGWU) for a meeting in a bid to avert a looming strike over salary disparities. The union accuses the government of favouring science employees, whose salaries are up to four times higher than those of their humanities counterparts. On July 15, the union served the ministry with a statutory notice of intention to withdraw labour.
At a meeting on August 1, ULGWU chairman Emmanuel Gidudu said members had resolved to down tools if their demand for salary enhancement is not addressed in the next Budget Call Circular in September. The salary dispute began in 2022 when the government increased pay for workers in the science fields. Gidudu said it was unfair for staff on the U3 scale in humanities to earn 990,000 shillings while their science counterparts on the same scale receive 4.2 million shillings.
He noted that entry-level medics at the U3 scale earn 5.4 million shillings, while civil aviation staff at the same level take home 8.8 million shillings, yet humanities workers get only 798,000 shillings. Last month, Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) saw their pay rise from 2.35 million to 12.75 million shillings.
City clerks, deputy directors, commissioners, under-secretaries, and Grade I foreign service officers also received increases from between 1.86 million and 2.08 million shillings to 12.75 million shillings. Union leaders say they are tired of unfulfilled government promises, warning that if the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development fails to address their concerns, all local government workers in cities, municipalities, and sub-counties “will have no choice but to withdraw their labour.”
In a letter signed by Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwire, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service, the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 14, 2025. Also invited are the permanent secretaries from the ministries of Education and Sports, Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Gender, Labour and Social Development, and Local Government.
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