Striking local government workers in Uganda have called off their industrial action for three months, a move aimed at giving government dialogue a chance to resolve salary disparities and other grievances, the union said.
The decision was announced following a tense leadership meeting of the Uganda Local Government Workers Union (ULGWU) on Friday, according to the union’s General Secretary, Hassan Lwabayi.
‘On October 10, 2025, relevant organs of the union virtually consulted with the striking workers about the development of the Speaker’s appeal to call off the strike. Much as it was contentious; nevertheless, we agreed to stay the Industrial action for a period of 3 months with effect from Midnight Monday October 13, 2025 to give dialogue a chance,’ Lwabayi said.
The suspension follows a petition submitted on October 8 to Parliament Speaker Anita Among, urging her intervention to address salary enhancement and disparities among local government staff.
The union demanded ‘equal pay for equal work without discrimination.’
Speaker Among responded by calling on the striking workers, including teachers who have been on strike over similar issues, to resume work.
She promised swift parliamentary action on their grievances and directed relevant committees to engage with government to find solutions.
Local government workers, whose salaries fall under the unconditional grant wage category, argue that despite the government allocating Shs8.5 trillion for the 2025/2026 wage bill, their salaries have not been adjusted to reflect their contributions.
The strike, which began on October 1, lasted nearly two weeks and disrupted key public services. Implementation of the Parish Development Model, health and education service delivery, and facilitation of land transactions at city and local government levels were among the operations affected.