By Watchdog reporter
Prosecutors under their umbrella body Uganda Association of Prosecutors (UAP) have resolved to stage an industry action inform of a strike after conducting a ballot vote following the unsolved grievances.
The prosecutor who held an extra-ordinary general Assembly today at Imperial Royale Hotel conducted a ballot vote to decide whether to carry out an industrial action in form of a strike or in short of strike.
By the end of the day the aggrieved civil servants voted in favor of staging an indefinite strike until their queries are solved by government.
Out of the 239 prosecutors who voted, 224 voted in favor of strike , two voted for industrial action in short of strike, two did not want anything to do with industrial action whereas 11 votes were invalid.
After voting, they gave their employers 14 days to look into their matter and come out with a positive response; short of that they will proceed with their indefinite strike.
The whole election process was supervised by officials from Uganda Law Society since it needed an independent and competent body.
According to David Baxter Bakibinga, president of UAP, It is more than five years since they raised their voices against pitiable remunerations, non-wage benefits including non-practicing allowances, research allowance, professional attire, risk allowances, an Office of Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) enabling law and taxation of their mearge pay whereas other core JLOS institutions such as judiciary , police and Prisons are not.
“We want government to increase our salary whereby the lowest paid will be receiving shs9m and our director should be able to take home shs40m,” said Bakibinga.
On the other hand, Minister of Justice and Constitutional affairs Kahinda Otafiire who also attended the meeting tried to calm down the angry prosecutors not conduct ballot vote rather to opt for diplomatic means to solve their stinging issues-it was like a minister was building castles in air in the faces of the charged state attorneys.
“Why don’t we try diplomacy? This is the first time you’re addressing your issue to me as an association not subordinates. I beg, am not forcing you but you get a team which I can go with to meet the prime minister, finance minister, minister of public service so that we can discuss; if things don’t work out then you fire your gun,” Otafiire cried out.
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