West Nile leaders ask govt to expedite minimum wage law
Workers construct a house at Imvepi Settlement in Terego District on April 20. District leaders have asked for protection of rights of such workers through passing the minimum wage law. PHOTO | FELIX WAROM OKELLO
What you need to know:
- Article 40 of the Constitution provides for protection of workers’ rights. Similarly, the Employment Act 2006 and Workers Compensation Act 2000 have provisions for enforcement of the laws to protect and safeguard worker’s rights.
District leaders from West Nile Sub-region have asked government to expedite the process of bringing to Parliament a law on minimum wage to protect workers from exploitation.
Speaking during a meeting on human rights and businesses by UN Human Rights, the leaders said lack of a minimum wage law has contributed to abuse and violation of workers’ rights.
Some of the salient issues included poor pay, working for more hours without compensation and mistreatment.
The District Community Development Officer for Terego District, Mr Richard Obia, said the tabling of the Bill in Parliament has been long overdue.
“This has given leeway for employers to exploit their workers. It is very common to find workers in some big companies who have gone for months without pay yet these companies make a lot of money,” Mr Obia said.
He added: “Such companies mistreat workers since they have no contractual obligations with them. Also there is no clear law that will hold them accountable. We need this law to be passed soon to protect people from exploitation.”
Uganda does not have a minimum wage law despite constant reminders to Parliament.
The Zombo District Community Development Officer, Mr Samuel Ocaki, said some parastatals look to maximise profits and care less about their employees.
The leaders also cited illegal exportation of labour that has seen cases of deaths increase, especially in Middle East Countries.
They said gross abuse has led to loss of lives, injuries, disabilities, chronic illnesses, depression, anxiety and illegal displacement of workers.
Mr Ocaki said government should revamp the operations of labour offices in the districts so that they can arbitrate over the cases.
“Our judicial systems should also be strengthened because the industrial courts mainly sits in Kampala. So some of the cases reported by workers from upcountry become difficult to follow because it is expensive,” he said.
An officer at the United Nations Human Rights for Gulu Field Office, Mr Emmanuel Wafula, said: “Even if the minimum wage law is not in place, there should be no excuse for businessmen or those employing workers to abuse rights of those they employ. Where business enterprises identify that they have caused or contributed to human rights abuses, they should provide a remedy to the workers.”
