The Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) has announced a nationwide strike, instructing members to stay out of classrooms when the third term begins on September 15, 2025.
The industrial action targets persistent salary disparities that have fueled recurring disputes in the education sector. Over the years, different teacher unions have staged strikes over delayed or unequal pay adjustments, but the issue remains unresolved.
UNATU general secretary Filbert Baguma said the decision comes after three years of fruitless dialogue with government.
“Despite numerous reminders, petitions, and formal letters to the Office of the President, the head of Public Service, and relevant ministries, government has failed to provide a clear plan to address these disparities,” Baguma said.
The last major UNATU strike in 2022 ended after a tense meeting with President Yoweri Museveni, who told union leaders that salary increments were not possible at the time, as government had prioritized science teachers.
UNATU suspended the strike to allow negotiations, but three years later, no breakthrough has been reached.
“Teachers have waited patiently, but government has remained indifferent. Industrial action remains the only option left,” Baguma added.
He emphasized that the strike is protected under Ugandan law and international labour standards, warning against intimidation or harassment of teachers. Education experts have long criticized government’s stance, arguing that humanities teachers are equally vital to the country’s education system.
Museveni, however, has repeatedly defended his decision to prioritize science teachers in several speeches, often in a firm tone. The timing of the strike declaration comes just days after Museveni told teachers attending a patriotism training at Ntare School in Mbarara that salary enhancements would begin next year.
But Baguma dismissed the pledge, saying the teachers at the event did not represent the national workforce and that no official communication had been made to all teachers.
Earlier this year, members of the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union also staged a week-long strike. It ended after negotiations with Museveni at State House, where union leaders secured allowances and a presidential promise of immediate Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax relief for all teachers.
While Museveni pledged to phase in salary enhancements, the tax relief has not yet been implemented. One tangible outcome was the creation of a Shs 20 billion fund for the arts teachers’ SACCO.
Still, ministry of Public Service data underscores the glaring pay gap: Graduate science teachers earn a gross monthly salary of Shs 4 million, taking home about Shs 2.8 million after tax. Graduate arts teachers take home between Shs 672,000 and Shs 754,600.
Diploma-level science teachers earn about Shs 1.54 million net. Diploma-level arts teachers earn between Shs 521,500 and Shs 548,800. Teachers form the largest segment of Uganda’s public service. According to the ministry of Finance, raising salaries for more than 17,000 arts teachers to match the Shs 4 million paid to science teachers would cost approximately Shs 509 billion annually.
Teachers, please don’t lay down your tools for the sake of that child whose only hope for upward social mobility is education. Arts/Humanities teachers, your strike will have unintended consequence of perpetuating societal inequality that you are attempting to fight. Please continue negotiating with government as kids study.
Where I work, remuneration is negotiated between employee and employer. It is not uncommon to find folks within the same academic rank, but different disciplines earning different salaries. Market forces of demand and supply determine the price of labor. We all know that labor is an important factor of production, and is mobile. Mobility of factors of production, including labor, ensures that they move to where they get better pay. Teachers, instead of punishing kids, please transfer your labor to where it can get better pay. Others will come to fill the void that you will leave. I present this economic rationale with humility. I respect all teachers. I belong to this esteemed profession.
Bagman must stop the ping-pong.
But also telling a few people at ur former school is not official, come out clear how much you’re giving, how will these science people exams not in good English, say
The biggest problem costing arts teachers is disunity among them just like traders. They can’t act together that’s why they are ignored.
The simpler language that the government of Uganda hears best is demonstration and strikes,
Let teachers and UNATU insisted until their voices are heard and if the parents feel for their children, let them engage the government but blame the teachers.
Its on this note that teachers are disunited, In such industrial actions there is need for maxmum cohesion, To clear all this dont report to schools on monday until your salaries are enhanced
In addition massive eruptions have been here to get this govt of fishermen and teachers have always been nowhere in such big occassions, For real if teachers are fine with the state governance me too i dont care, it must be me and you to wake up and create a better uganda not a fertile land of hungry people/I cant imagine you guys taught them wheat growing in canada and relevant projects its unfortunate that you have a govt that cannot invest in food security sincerely speaking its only here where all species of foods are expensive including posho
Please teachers do whatever you feel like because this regime favours only sciences
Sent
It’s very sad that teachers in Uganda are seen as flies with almost no value to man kind and yet these are indeed the most important people in the community.
I think this current government should wake up and address teachers concern worse still the peanut continued to be abused in some district(it doesn’t come in time) now tomorrow children of other people are going to school but of a teacher has to stay home for about a week or two because he/ she doesn’t have money to even buy a scholarship material.
I call upon Ugandan to join teachers in this struggle and suggest that the lowest paid teacher in Uganda should earn a minimum of one million ugx base on the current cost of living in the country.
A strong foundation determines the strength of the building. Equally science is needed in all levels pre primary,primary,post primary and universities and English is used to teach history of science. Therefore all teachers are equally important and need equal pay. Please leaders of this think about it.
Am already at home digging. I even prayed for that strike to take place. I urge my fellow teachers to stay at home because that’s the only language govt can hear
I encourage teachers to persist in their struggle till the long-awaited promise is manifested in reality but not just another pledge only messing with their conscience.
But I would like to know something 🤔, it’s always about science and arts teachers making headlines as far as salary enhancements is concerned so where do the primary teachers belong ?!’cause they handle basically both categories at once but are always placed in shadows during the salary debates like some puppets and yet they are “donkey workers”
In conclusion, I think it’s better to include primary teachers too in such debates other than major on science and arts teachers alone. Thank you.
You are talking about secondary teachers what about primary sector are they not teachers
The teacher’s state of living with no other pleviledges apart from their monthly pay which is again over deducted on issues like taxes, bank charges among others, is indeed appalling! Yet the cost of living ranging from essential domestic commodities, house rent, family education is becoming high each day.
Specifically looking at the economy with inflation, I urge Government not to keep deaf ear to teachers’ demands since it has been all long promising. Recently, each of our MP’s got 100M. Some of that money would be used to partly solve the issue even with the least %.