Karuma labourers accuse bosses of mistreatment
A Chinese engineer shows some of the MPs on the Committee for Natural Resources who visited the power dam construction site on Monday. Photo By Julius Ocungi
What you need to know:
- Mr Lieu Yu, deputy project manager and chief engineer, while responding to the allegations, however, said workers were not being mistreated and added that they are given appointment letters.
- The legislators, led by Mr Alex Byarugaba, the committee chairperson, also visited the power dam to assess the impact of the reported cracks at the dam.
KIRYANDONGO. Ugandan casual labourers working at Karuma Hydro Power Dam construction site have accused contractors of mistreatment, failure to provide safety gear and paying them meagre wages.
Sinohydro Corporation Ltd, a Chinese firm is undertaking the construction of the 600 MW Karuma power dam, one of Uganda’s biggest power projects.
One of the casual labourers said he has been working in the tunnel at the site for the past three months but has been suspended three times over unclear reasons.
Rude supervisors
“My supervisors are arrogant. When they make irrational decisions and you question them, they just tell you to leave work,” he told Saturday Monitor in an interview on Monday.
He noted that out of the Shs250,000 they are paid per month, the contractors deduct Shs50,000 for accommodation.
Another employee, who refused to be named for fear of being victimised, said they work for long hours without rest.
“Once you enter the site, the Chinese supervisors want you to work non-stop. Once you challenge them, that marks the end of your work,” he said.
He said they are exploited because they do not have appointment letters which they could use to challenge their bosses for unfair dismissal.
He also noted that sometimes they are not given protective gears such as masks and gloves yet they work in dusty spots and handle heavy machines.
Mr Lieu Yu, deputy project manager and chief engineer, while responding to the allegations, however, said workers were not being mistreated and added that they are given appointment letters.
He said they have given training opportunities for the casual labourers, which is a step forward in the creation of employment for Ugandans.
On Monday, legislators on the Committee for Natural Resources visited the power dam construction site and held meetings with the project contractors. They tasked the contractors to respond to the allegations raised against them by the casual labourers.
The legislators, led by Mr Alex Byarugaba, the committee chairperson, also visited the power dam to assess the impact of the reported cracks at the dam.
