East African Gazette
Kampala
The Minister of Gender Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), Amongi Betty has called unions in Uganda to team up with the ministry for joint inspections of workers at their work places to clarify their working conditions.
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Amongi said joint inspections will bring out a clear picture of working conditions of Ugandans in respect to the labour laws which the employers are supposed to follow.
Amongi was presiding over the delegates’ conference for the Central Organisation of Free Trade Union (COFTU) on March 30 2024 at Ntinda Kampala.
The 2006 Labor Unions Act recognized the Central Organization of Free Trade Unions (COFTU), a rival to NOTU, as a second national trade union group.
Uganda has ratified all eight of the International Labour Organization’s core conventions. Four labor reform laws passed in 2006 improved workers’ rights and repealed the requirement that unions represent at least 1,000 employees and represent 51 percent of the relevant workforce.
Approximately 855,000 of the formal sector’s two million workers belong to unions. By law, workers enjoy the right of association, except for those providing essential government services. There is no collective bargaining for public-sector workers, including teachers, whose salaries are fixed by the government.
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She advised trade unions to be active and visible to attract the government’s attention to receive their agenda.
“Unions must make positive actions that can make it visible for the government action if not you are creating space for those who are against trade unions to de-campaign your activities” she said.
She told them to stop fighting for leadership positions since the entire worker force wants services not being involved in leadership where their wrangles.
“If unions were speaking with one strong voice on minimum wage law, the government would have enacted the law a long time ago but your fights for leadership have overshadowed your missions and objectives why Unions exist” she said.
The Chairman General of National Organisation of Trade Union (NOTU), Musa Okello said there is a need to recruit more members for the union’s strength to increase the Labour force.
He said with solidarity and unity in place with other unions, respect for workers as per labour laws is just in the corner.
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The Chairman General of Central Organisation of Free Trade Union (COFTU), John Oketcho said the ongoing work to walk on all roads leading the city center every morning and evening demonstrates how workers cannot afford transport costs due to peanut pay.
Oketcho said it’s absurd for foreign investors who have trade unions in their country who perform better in transformation of their economy but oppose it when they come here.
The meeting was attended by workers, members of parliament, executive of NOTU and NSSF officials among others
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