Arts and Humanities teachers have threatened to resume their industrial action if the government fails to implement presidential directives on salary harmonization and welfare commitments in the ongoing 2026/2027–2030/2031 budgeting process.
In a March 11, 2026 letter addressed to the minister of Public Service, the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers’ Union (UPHTU) said it was concerned that the ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development had once again failed to allocate funds for Arts and Humanities teachers in the current budget planning cycle.
According to UPHTU president Teopista Akello, the matter arose during an inter-ministerial meeting held on March 10 at the ministry of Public Service boardroom and chaired by the permanent secretary.
The union reminded government of resolutions reached during a June 30, 2025, meeting at State House, Entebbe, between its National Executive Council and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
UPHTU said the president pledged and directed government to harmonize salaries of Arts teachers with those of their science counterparts in four phases, beginning with a 25 per cent increment in the 2026/2027 financial year.
Other measures agreed upon included an immediate reduction in Pay As You Earn (PAYE), a Shs 20 billion government grant to the UPHTU Sacco to support Arts and Humanities teachers, scholarships for four biological children of teachers, and construction of staff houses starting in the 2026/2027 financial year.
The union emphasized that any deviation from these commitments would not be acceptable. Akello warned that failure to honour the agreed directives would leave teachers with no option but to revoke the suspension of industrial action that was halted on June 30, 2025.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the speaker of parliament, the prime minister, the head of Public Service and secretary to the Cabinet, the minister of Education and Sports, several permanent secretaries, and the workers’ MP.
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