Industrial Court begins work with 2,000 cases next month
Dr Sam Lyomoki. File photo
What you need to know:
Court expected to resolve issues between employers and employees
KAMPALA
Beginning next week, the Industrial Court will start settling labour-related cases that have accumulated to more than 2,000, Workers’ Member of Parliament Sam Lyomoki has said.
According to Dr Lyomoki who is also the Secretary General of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Coftu), the establishment of the Industrial court comes after years of pressure from mainly labour organisations following rising disputes between employees and employers.
“Anytime the Industrial Court will start work, in fact by July 1, the court will be up and running,” Dr Lyomoki said earlier in the week.
He continued: “The judges have been appointed and what is being done now is assembling the panellist—consisting of mebers from the government, private sector and the labour unions (employes) each with five representatives.
Speaking before the workers’ annual prayer day on Tuesday, Dr Lyomoki attributed the delay to set up the court to the executive (President) that took time to appoint the judges even when it was apparent that the process needed to be expedited.
He said: “As we speak now, labour-related cases have piled up to over 2000. Matters regarding the same (labour) issues in several courts of law will be referred to the Industrial Court.”
According to Dr Lyomoki, the most dominant case revolves around unfair dismissal of employees, occupation and health hazards issues and irregular awarding of terminal benefits.
The Labour ministry Permanent Secretary, Mr Pius Bigirimana, in an interview yesterday confirmed the development saying all is set for the court and beginning next month, adjudications of labour-related issues will be done at the Industrial Court based in Ntinda, Kampala. “The judges have been appointed and the court registrar has already reported for duty,” he said.
