Flower firm workers strike over salary

Police cane one of the workers. Photo by martin Sebuyira

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During the scuffle, 10 workers were arrested and taken to Entebbe Police.

Entebbe
Police in Entebbe on Wednesday battled Rosebud flower firm workers who had staged a strike protesting poor pay.

The Police fired bullets in the air before beating up the workers who had gathered at the firm gate, refusing not to enter until their salaries are increased by 60 per cent.

“I have children to look after, I am renting a house of Shs30,000, I start working at 7am to 7pm but I am earning a daily wage of Shs2,000 that is too little,” Ms Betty Naiga, a worker at the firm told Daily Monitor.

She said their bosses also deduct NSSF from their little pay, adding that it is total exploitation.

Another worker, Mr Paul Ssekamate, said they need a pay raise because they use chemicals without any protective gadgets.

“One of our colleagues recently died after getting exposed to chemicals. We need enough money to help us leave a good life,” Mr Ssekamate said.

He said the firm has failed to provide them with clean water despite them spending 12 hours at the premises.

The Police had first warned the workers to go back home if they are not willing to work than staging at the firm gate but they refused.

The Police then started beating up the workers who in turn threw stones and other objects at them.

During the scuffle, 10 workers were arrested and taken to Entebbe Police.

Entebbe District Police Commander Patrick Albert Ismat declined to comment on the matter referring it to Kampala Metropolitan Police boss, Mr Andrew Sorowen, who was not at the scene during the scuffle.

Mr Ahmed Bongo, the flower estate manager, in a separate interview, said they engaged in a meeting with the Chairman National Organisation of Trade Union, Mr Wilson Owere, the Secretary General Uganda Horticulture and Allied Worker’s Union, Mr Steven Barasa, Entebbe Police criminal investigations boss Fred Wetaya, and agreed to increase the worker’s pay by 10 per cent.

“We agreed not to intimidate any worker who participated in the strike and pay them the day they didn’t work while protesting,” Mr Bongo said.
The workers of Rosebud last week petitioned the government over alleged continued abuse of their rights by the firm, claiming that they work under poor conditions despite extremely low pay.

The development followed an incident in which one of their colleagues, Mr Safari Mazirani, was hurt while on duty and later lost his life.