The 1995 Civil Service Remuneration Policy says the initial goal was to pay a living wage and create a streamlined, single-spine structure for transparency. This goal was never fully achieved.
Over the past decade, the government prioritized and significantly increased the salaries of science teachers, medical professionals, and certain high-level cadres as a strategic move to promote science and innovation.
A severe pay gap has emerged. For example, a graduate science teacher now earns approximately Shs2.8 million (net), while a graduate arts/humanities teacher takes home between Shs672,000 and Shs754,600 (net).
The salaries for over 66% of the public service, particularly those in local government and humanities, had seen little to no enhancement since FY 2014/2015.
A Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was signed, but unions argue the government has failed to honour its commitment to fully implement the agreed-upon pay harmonisation.
The Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) staged a major strike that ended after a meeting with the President. Promises were made to pay enhancements in phases and grant tax relief, but the unions state these promises were not fulfilled.
Negotiations began in November 2024, between the Ministry of Public Service and the Uganda Technical and Vocational Trainers Union.
And still the main issue was the salary disparity between science and arts/humanities-based public servants, with unions demanding equitable pay. The government has maintained a policy of prioritizing scientists.
August 3, 2025, the Uganda Local Government Workers Union (ULGWU) issued a one-month ultimatum over salary disparities.
Strikes began again. On September 15, 2025 the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) and the Uganda Technical and Vocational Trainers Union began their industrial action.
On October 1, 2025, the Uganda Local Government Workers Union (ULGWU) joined the nationwide strike and by 8th of October UNATU, ULGWU, and TVET Instructors’ Union submitted petitions to the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, urging intervention on salary disparities, particularly the pay gap between science and arts teachers.
On October 9, 2025, the Speaker of Parliament directed relevant committees to investigate salary disparities and urged the unions to suspend their strikes, promising swift action.
On October 13, 2025, ULGWU called off their industrial action for three months to allow dialogue with the government. Four days after, on the 17th of the same month, UNATU suspended its 32-day strike.
On November 9, 2025, the Ministry of Public Service invited labour union leaders for a meeting. An inter-ministerial meeting was scheduled to take place on November 11 to discuss issues including salary disparities, promotion structures and find a resolution.
The primary demands and grievances that led to the industrial actions included:
- Salary Disparities: A major point of contention was the significant pay gap, especially between science and arts teachers, and the general inequity in salary enhancement across various public service sectors.
- Pay Parity and Reclassification: Unions were demanding equal pay for equal work and the reclassification of certain roles, such as recognizing technical fields as “science” fields to receive better pay.
- Failure to Honour Agreements: Unions, like UNATU, had expressed frustration over the government’s perceived failure to honour a 2018 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Government’s Position
The government had previously declared the strikes illegal, stating that proper dispute settlement procedures and legal requirements had not been met. However, the current invitation to a high-level meeting on November 9, 2025, signals a move towards dialogue and a search for a resolution
