Latest news with #paydisparity
Zawya
3 days ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Uganda: Supplementary can resolve teacher pay disparity
The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, has advised government to table a supplementary request to Parliament to address the pay disparities between science and arts teachers. He offered the advice during plenary on Tuesday, 24 June 2025, wherein he warned that arts and humanities teachers across the country had gone on strike, demanding pay equity and the matter needs to be addressed. Ssenyonyi also said that curbing public corruption would unlock the much needed funds. 'The IGG says we lose over Shs 10 trillion to corruption every year. Stop stealing taxpayers' money and there will be money to pay the teachers,' he said. Arts subject teachers began striking in early June over salary disparities, earning less than half of what their colleagues in other subjects receive. 'They are saying they are teachers too, just like the science teachers, but they have been discriminated against severely. They have warned that they are not going to carry out assessments, and that is a big concern for our young people who are in school,' Ssenyonyi said. According to available information, graduate science teachers earn Shs4 million while diploma holders earn Shs3 million. Most arts teachers meanwhile earn below Shs1 million. Teachers with similar qualifications and workloads, the leader of the Opposition noted, were being paid grossly unequal salaries, with arts teachers earning up to four times less than their science counterparts. 'We are happy science teachers got a raise. But you cannot do it for some and not others,' he argued. He further pointed to absurd situations where headteachers with arts qualifications supervise science teachers who earn more than them, calling it a 'management crisis.' He also cited the Auditor General's report for the year ending 2024, which revealed that retired science teachers receive pensions higher than the monthly net pay of currently serving arts teachers. In response, the Government Chief Whip, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, confirmed that engagements between the education ministry and the leadership of arts teachers were ongoing. 'There is no intimidation at all, we believe in dialogue and consensus,' he assured the House. Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa who chaired the House acknowledged the urgency of the matter and asked the sector minister to update the House once negotiations conclude. The Minister of State for Higher Education, Hon. Chrysostom Muyingo, said the ministry had held a number of meetings with the teachers and that their leadership had agreed to suspend the strike. 'Government is committed to raise the salaries of all our public servants in a fair manner,' Muyingo said, promising feedback from consultations by Thursday. Meanwhile Hon. Sarah Opendi (NRM, Tororo District Woman Representative) added her voice to the debate, highlighting equally pressing concerns about pay disparities among government lawyers. 'There is a serious pay disparity among the lawyers working in the police force and other lawyers in government,' Opendi said. She warned that the discrepancy was fueling an exodus of legal officers from the Uganda Police Force to other departments, particularly the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General's Chambers, where pay is significantly higher. 'This matter was presented here. The last time, the Attorney General said they had appealed. I want to confirm, there is no active appeal,' she said. The Deputy Speaker backed her call and directed that the Attorney General update the House on the issue. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Jason Isaacs confirms ‘very low' salary for The White Lotus
Despite being a big Hollywood star, the actor confirmed rumours that every member of the cast received the same wage for the third season of the TV show. Jason, who played Timothy Ratliff, told Vulture that the modest paycheck had no impact on his desire to join the cast. 'I didn't know that was public knowledge. That's absolutely true," he replied when asked to comment on rumours about the pay, which was considered small for such a popular show. 'Generally actors don't talk about pay in public because it's ridiculously disproportionate to what we do..."
News.com.au
06-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Need a pay rise': Aussies shocked by nurse's salary
A young nurse, who works up to 16 hours a day, has shocked social media users after revealing how much she gets paid. She was recently stopped on the streets of Brisbane for an interview by jobs app, Getahead, where she revealed she earns $78,000 a year working as an enrolled nurse. The worker is on the verge of finishing her registered nursing degree and plans to either continue working in her current hospital or become an army medic. During the interview, she revealed that she works between 8 to 16 hour shifts as a cardiovascular respiratory nurse, which she described as 'quite an intense job'. 'I am a carer for my grandfather. He had a heart attack a couple of years ago, [which] kind of got me into the specialty,' she said, adding that she had also cared for her grandmother when she was diagnosed with cancer. 'I just love the aspect of giving back to everyone, looking after people when they can't look after themselves is a massive thing.' When asked if she thought hospitals and the government were doing enough to 'look after' nurses, the young Aussie said she didn't think so. 'We have to fight so much for our pay increases and for our rights,' she said. 'I don't think a lot of people see how much we struggle and how emotionally exhausted we are sometimes.' The nurse said she and other people in the industry could 'definitely' do with more help and benefits. Since being shared two days ago the video has gained tens of thousands of views, with commenters sharing their shock at how much nurses really earn. 'Nurses all deserve better pay! Governments always say their nurses are valued and important but never pay them properly,' one person said. Another claimed that rate was 'too low', while another said all nurses 'need a good pay rise'. One person wrote: 'Definitely one of the most accurate interviews I've seen for nursing. Love this conversation! As a nurse I 100% agree, it's a constant battle for pay increases and for better working rights. Nurses don't get enough recognition.' According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statics, the average salary for a registered nurse in Queensland ranges from $79,058 to $106,144. An enrolled nurse salary in Queensland ranges from $71,234 to $82,599. Meanwhile, the average salary for a nurse in NSW ranges from $69,810 to $98,014. Victorian nurses have capped salaries at just below $130,000, making them among the highest paid in the country. In NSW the top classification for a registered nurse caps out at just under 100,000 in Queensland it peaks at $106,144 This is not the first time people have been left horrified after finding out how poorly some of our nurses are being paid. Earlier this year in another Getahead interview a nurse working at a private Brisbane hospital revealed that she earns around $33 an hour. 'I also work in a kitchen at the same hospital,' she added. Her admission sparked multiple stunned responses from social media users, with one person claiming there was 'no way' Australia was 'paying their nurses this low'. 'It's a joke here,' another said, with one adding: 'I make more as a barista, what?' Even though there was shock online around the woman's earnings, she claimed the 'pay' was one of the parts she loved most when it came to the job, along with 'going home to sleep'. Despite her joking response, the young worker said nurse was something she could see herself doing 'forever' and said more nurses are 'definitely needed' in Australia.
