Makerere University lecturers have gone on an indefinite sit down strike, protesting government's failure to increase their salaries, as promised two years ago.
In 2004, the lecturers went on strike demanding a review of their salaries. They also protested preferential treatment between sciences and humanities and a salary scale structure between academic staff and administrators.
The lecturers maintained that science lecturers and those for humanities should be at par provided they have similar qualifications.
The strike was suspended following assurances from the Chancellor and Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi, that their salaries would be increased in the 2005-2006 financial year as promised by President Museveni.
But the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), Spokesman, Muhammad Kiggundu Musoke, says the lecturers are unhappy that the president did not leave to his promise. He says the Finance ministry in October this year, remitted only 700 million shillings to the university to boost salaries of more than 1,061 lecturers.
Musoke says the lecturers would not resume classes until government has addressed their grievances.
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The lecturers want their salaries increased from at least the current 800,000 shillings to 1.2 million shillings for an assistant lecturer and 3.8 million for a professor.
