Workers under the Uganda Local Government Workers Union (ULGWU) are set to meet with government officials to address grievances related to salary increments. If the meeting is successful, the union may call off its planned strike.
In an interview with Bbeg Media at the union’s offices along Bombo Road, Hassan Lwabayi Mudiba, the General Secretary of ULGWU, expressed optimism about the upcoming discussions.
“We expect to meet with government representatives to address our concerns in line with the Public Service Act 93 and the Public Service (Negotiating, Consultative, and Dispute Settlement Machinery) Act Cap 91, as agreed upon in 2018, which have yet to yield results,” Mudiba said.
Mudiba highlighted the unfairness of the government paying significantly lower salaries to O-level school leavers working in local government compared to their colleagues with university degrees.
He said these workers have been instrumental in research, policy formulation, data collection, and the effective implementation of government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Skilling Uganda, and Operation Wealth Creation, among others.
The meeting, scheduled for this week, follows concerns raised by union members during their recent Annual General Meeting, which drew participants from across Uganda.
The issues discussed were formally communicated to the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development; the Ministry of Education and Sports; the Ministry of Public Service; and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
The union expects to meet with the minister of Public Service, Wilson Muruli Mukasa, his deputy, and the other senior government officials.
