The Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) has suspended its 32-day industrial action to pave the way for Parliamentary deliberations on salary disparities among teachers. The decision follows formal communication from the Speaker of Parliament recalling key committees to address the issue that has kept teachers away from classrooms for over a month.
In a statement issued on Thursday, UNATU General Secretary Baguma Filbert Bates said the union had achieved significant progress through the strike, including reopening stalled negotiations and securing government acknowledgment of the pay gaps between teachers of sciences and those of arts and humanities.
“Suspension is not surrender. It is a strategic decision to allow Parliament, which is the very institution that allocates the national budget, to act,” Baguma said.
Progress Achieved
According to UNATU, the industrial action—launched on 15th September 2025—compelled the government to formally recognize the existence of salary disparities. On 16th September, UNATU met with officials from the Ministries of Public Service, Gender, Labour and Social Development, and Education and Sports, during which the government admitted to the inequality.
Subsequently, the union presented its grievances before the Public Service National Negotiating and Consultative Council on 8th October, which promised feedback within two weeks. On the same day, the union petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Among, who has since directed the Committees on Education & Sports, Public Service, and Local Government to urgently consider the matter.
UNATU hailed this as “the first formal recognition in three years” that the issue deserves parliamentary attention, calling it a major victory for teachers nationwide.
Decision to Suspend Industrial Action
In a special sitting on 16th October, the UNATU National Executive Council (NEC) and branch chairpersons resolved to suspend the strike after receiving written assurance from the Speaker that Parliament was handling the matter “expeditiously.”
The union called on its members to resume work immediately, urging patience as the legislative process unfolds.
“Let us give the Speaker and the Committees a chance to demonstrate sincerity,” the statement read. “If justice is not served, we shall return to industrial action—stronger, broader, and indefinite.”
A Message to Parliament and the Public
UNATU’s leadership commended the Speaker’s intervention and expressed cautious optimism that Parliament would act “in the interest of justice and national integrity.” The union emphasized that the struggle was not only for teachers but also for the learners whose education depends on a motivated teaching force.
Baguma reiterated that the union’s primary demand remains equitable salary enhancement for teachers in primary and post-primary institutions, particularly those in arts and humanities, to match the standard agreed upon in the 2018 Public Service Union framework and targeted for implementation in the FY 2022/23.
Looking Ahead
While suspending the strike, UNATU vowed to remain vigilant, organized, and ready to resume industrial action should Parliament or government fail to honor their commitments.
“We have not surrendered our struggle; we have institutionalized it,” the statement declared. “We now have an accountability centre—Parliament.”
The union concluded by reminding lawmakers that teachers’ trust and the credibility of Parliament were now on the line.
“If you stand for justice, history will remember you as heroes and heroines of fairness. If you turn away, the burden of betrayal will rest on your record forever.”
