Humanities teachers strike over unequal pay in Uganda

More than 10,000 humanities teachers in Uganda have gone on strike demanding equal pay with their science counterparts in government institutions.

The industrial action, which began on Tuesday, is led by the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union (UPHTU) and is expected to affect all government schools, 23 primary teachers' colleges, five national teachers' colleges and colleges of commerce.

The teachers are protesting what they describe as unfair and demoralising salary differences, saying that while science teachers received salary increases, those teaching humanities were left behind despite having similar qualifications and responsibilities.

"We won't return to class until our concerns are resolved," UPHTU National Chairperson Teopista Akell said in a statement.

According to the union, the government was given a 90-day notice to address the issue, but with no response by the June 7 deadline, the strike was triggered.

Godfrey Osenda, the National Chairperson of the Uganda Professional Humanities Sacco, said over 10,000 of the country’s estimated 17,000 humanities teachers have joined the protest.

"We've directed all humanities teachers in government schools to boycott classes until further notice," Osenda said, disputing the government's explanation that financial constraints are preventing a salary review.

The union says the government communicated that humanities teachers’ salaries would not be reviewed until the 2026/2027 financial year due to funding issues. However, Osenda challenged this, saying the size of the country’s economy should allow for better pay.

"With Uganda's economy now valued at USh226 trillion annually, resources should be available to meet teachers' demands," he said.

Tensions over the issue date back to 2022, when the government first promised to review the pay structure for humanities teachers. However, the teachers say that despite repeated promises, no meaningful steps have been taken.

"In 2024/25, they had slotted USh499 billion. Where did that money go? This current financial year, according to the Ministry of Education and Sports, they were supposed to allocate USh800 billion, which is little money for this government," Akell said in a televised interview last week.

"We are all children and citizens of Uganda, so we are calling on the government to, for once, try not to break their agreements, which we have on paper."