Africa-Press – Uganda. Human resource officers working with local governments have asked the Ministry of Public Service to enhance their salaries if they are to offer effective services to the country.
The officers said it is demoralising to see large sums of money paid to lower cadres with low academic qualifications and yet theirs is too low.
Addressing a meeting of human resource officers in Lira City last Friday, Ms Stella Yeko, the principal human resource officer of Nakapiripirit District, said she has been going through a lot of challenges since the enhancement of salary for scientists commenced in July 2022.
“I always keep on seeing a lot of money passing in the system to lower cadres like assistant animal husbandry or assistant veterinary officers and yet I am paid peanuts,” she said.
“Someone who did a diploma is getting more salary than a principal human resource officer who has a bachelor’s degree or master’s. So, as we are making these payments, it is actually so demoralising, like you feel so low as you are making these payments,” she added.
Ms Lillian Ocare, the assistant town clerk of Lira City, said they are so disgruntled because of the disparity in the salary structure.
“It is an issue for lobby and advocacy because for sure we go to the same market, we go to the same hospital. I was born and I found that I understand history very well, but I cannot comprehend chemistry and physics,” she said.
“So, you are not going to force me to take chemistry and physics. But why should I be punished for being arts-oriented?” she added.
Ms Ocare said an assistant animal husbandry officer, who went to a local institution such as Amugo Agro Technical School, Alebtong District, earns Shs2 million.
“I hold a Master’s Degree, a Post Graduate Diploma, a first Class Bachelor’s Degree, several certificates and I go home with Shs700,000 and yet I have to supervise these fellows who earn three times more than me,” she said.
She added: “They go vaccinating dogs and cats at a cost. They go to castrate animals for money. They are not innovating anything new. But I am here struggling with personnel doing counselling, following up pensions for the elderly, those who might have retired and I am paid very little salary.”
Mr Walter Pons Okello, the vice president of Uganda Public Service Human Resource Managers Network (UPS HRM –Net) for northern Uganda, said: “Currently, we are in a tough economic situation with a lot of new government programmes ongoing yet human resource officers sometimes have to be up to the task since they are the voice of the employees.”
Mr Herbert Kiguli, the president of UPS HRM –Net, said the payment disparities have divided the workforce and reduced the morale of staff with Arts qualifications.
“In secondary schools, teachers are almost killing themselves. You have a group of the scientists sitting in their corner and this side a group of arts teachers seated and seeing each other as enemies,” Mr Kiguli said.
Salaries
In the current financial year 2022/2023, the government allocated Shs400 billion for enhancing scientists’ salaries, but no provision was made for the arts counterparts.
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