By Everest Mukiibi
As part of the measures to address rampant absenteeism, Nakaseke district has started paying civil servants based on the number of days they have worked. Like other districts, Nakaseke faces the problem of chronic absenteeism by the government workers, which has blighted service delivery.
Some of the workers report at their duty stations as late as 11 am while others don’t show up throughout the entire day leaving clients stranded. Now, the District has issued a notice to all government workers communicating a decision to pay them based on the days they have worked. The decision takes immediate effect.
The notice issued by the Human Resource Officer, Imelda Navubya on behalf of the Chief Administrative Officer, indicates that the salaries of officers who have not worked for 6-10 days in the month will be suspended until satisfactory reasons for their absence are established.
Navubya added that for the rest, salaries will be paid depending on the days worked in the month. She adds that the units whose supervisors in Lower Local Governments, schools and health centres fail to submit their monthly attendance returns, will not receive salaries until they make submissions.
Navubya said the decision is in reference to the Uganda Public Standing Orders section (f-b) on official working hours and attendance to duty. She also cited the establishment notice no.4 of 2009 on the application of sanctions in cases of absenteeism in the public service.
By the time our reporter visited the district headquarters on Wednesday, there were queues at the reception as staff were signing daily attendance registers where monthly salaries will now be based.
A senior officer who preferred anonymity said that the new directives are unfair to the sector because they will affect many teachers who are struggling to return to work following prolonged COVID-19 lockdown. So far 25 teachers in the district have not returned to work following the lifting of the COVID 19 lockdown.
Emmanuel Kizza, the Nakaseke branch Chairperson of Uganda National Teachers’ Union, said he had no issues with the directive because those with satisfactory reasons for missing work won’t be affected.
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