Updates from the National Consultative and Negotiating Council Meeting |ProDev Hour

This was a ProDev Hour meeting where Dr. Vincent Elong, Chairman of Uganda Professional Science Teachers Union (UPSTU), provided updates to members about the union’s progress and ongoing initiatives. Dr. Elong reported that UPSTU is one of seven recognized unions out of 63 registered labor unions in Uganda, with negotiating rights with the government on salary enhancements and working conditions. He announced significant progress on science teacher salary enhancements, including ICT teachers who will be enrolled as scientists in July 2024, with their pay automatically corrected through the HCM system. The union has also been working on resolving issues for PE (Physical Education) teachers and tutors who have been marginalized in salary payments. Dr. Elong shared that the union’s head office renovation is nearly complete at 97% and will be relocated to a permanent building at Makerere Kavule. He addressed member concerns about check-off coding issues, explaining that many science teachers are still being deducted from UNATU rather than UPSTU, and the union is working with Public Service Ministry to resolve this. The meeting included extensive Q&A sessions where members raised questions about specific cases, corporate wear distribution, insurance benefits, and various policy matters.