By Hon Charles Bakkabulindi, Workers MP.
One of the major problems facing workers in Uganda is the casualization of labour and degradation of terms and conditions of work. Casualization became rampant following privatization of public enterprises and the retrenchment of the state. Most of the jobs being created on Uganda’s employment market are of casual nature, even where the people being employed are skilled and qualified. Casualization is, therefore, one of the major ways in which Ugandans are being exploited because casual workers are treated as people without labour rights. They are denied rights such as those found in the Labour Unions Act (freedom of association, in Trade Unions), the Employment Act (hours of work, leave, maternity leave, repatriation, severance and proper termination procedures) or the Occupational Safety and Health Act (a healthy and protected working environment). In addition to casualization, major companies especially, Telecommunication, Multi Nationals have now resorted to so – called contracting out or denied outsourced workers their labour rights.
Apart from the National Employment Policy for Uganda and the National Youth Policy the MoGLSD also established National Tripartite Charter on Labour Relations. The charter was signed on 23rd may 2013,by the FUE,NOTU and COFTU on the one hand and the Government of Uganda (GoU) on the other. This Charter envisages tripartite co-operation between the Government, the employers and the Trade Unions. All three parties agreed as follows;
1. To promote, respect and protect the rights of workers as enshrined in Article 2, 20, 29 and 40 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
2. To respect democratic principles, settle all differences, disputes and grievances by mutual negotiation, conciliation and voluntary arbitration in accordance with the laid down machinery.
3. To create a vibrant social security sector that provides for the welfare of workers, retired persons, the unemployed, orphans, the sick, persons with disabilities, youths and other disadvantaged groups.
4. To promote policies that will enhance skills and human resource training and development for competitiveness, encourage local and foreign investment for the creation of more quality and decent jobs.
5. To strengthen the statutory tripartite bodies as a fora to regularly meet, discuss and advise on labour administration.
6. To abide by the provisions contained in the laws of Uganda, the East African Common Market Protocol (EACMP) and regulations made thereunder on the free movement of labour and ILO Labour standards in respect of fundamental principles and rights at work.”
It should also be noted that among other things, the Government agreed “to provide mechanisms for dialogue, tripartite consultations and negotiations to enable the parties to implement the terms of this charter”, “ to develop and implement policies on employment and labour issues in consultation with social partners and other stakeholders, which enhance productivity and industrial harmony in the workplace”, and also “to provide an enabling environment for workers to negotiate for a living wage as reflected in the National Employment Policy and the ILO Recommendation on Social Protection”. furthermore, the Government agreed “to strengthen the statutory bodies such as the Industrial Court, the Minimum Wages Advisory Board, the Labour Advisory Board and the National Tripartite Council, as tripartite for a.
When you peruse through the charter, it has really beautiful provisions but most of the workers don’t know anything about the charter, labour headers therefore have a duty to sensitize their members about these provisions, so that they can benefit from them.
There is evidence that since the passing of the 1995 Constitution, the youth MPs have made a modest contribution with regard to the passing of some laws, motions and policies in conjunction with the MoGLSD■
