The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among has urged striking teachers to return to class, noting that parliament will take action to address their concerns.
Speaking on receipt of a petition from the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU), Among said Parliament is committed to ensuring that the long-standing salary disparities are addressed once and for all.
“As Parliament of Uganda, I want to promise you that we are going to do whatever it takes to ensure that these issues are resolved. I am happy that you have brought this petition before we go into a budgeting time,” Among said.
Among revealed that President Museveni has been fully briefed on the matter and that Parliament will work closely with the Executive to ensure a fair resolution.
“These issues are revolving around money, but I want to assure you that both Parliament and the Executive are committed to ending this impasse,” she added.
The Speaker directed the Parliamentary Committees on Public Service and Education to immediately convene a joint session to scrutinize the salary disparities and provide recommendations.
She further instructed that the petition be forwarded to the Ministry of Public Service for urgent consideration.
“We are going to refer this petition to the Committee on Education and Sports together with the Committee on Public Service for a joint review. In the meantime, we shall also write to the Minister of Public Service and attach these petitions, asking him to act,” Among directed.
The teachers’ union, led by its General Secretary Filbert Baguma petitioned Parliament seeking equity in remuneration, arguing that the current policy that favors science teachers undermines morale among humanities educators.
“Our demand is not excessive, but a measure to restore fairness and parity within the profession,” Baguma said.
“When teachers thrive, Uganda’s learners and the nation’s future thrive with them. Addressing disparities now will prevent industrial actions that disrupt learning,” he added.
UNATU has maintained that the strike now in its fourth week will continue until government commits to addressing the pay gap.
In 2022, government enhanced salaries for science teachers, nearly tripling their pay, while their counterparts in the arts and humanities remained on the same scale.
The resulting pay gap has fueled repeated strikes and demands for equity from arts teachers, who argue that all educators contribute equally to learners’ development.
Speaker Among’s assurance marks the first strong parliamentary commitment to resolving the matter ahead of the 2026/27 budget cycle, raising hopes of an end to the standoff that has left many schools across the country paralyzed.
