'Tame runaway workers’ rights' violation

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The Uganda Human Rights Commission is demanding for action to tame the growing violation of workers' rights.

The call is partly informed by an impromptu raid on a Bugolobi-based textile factory in Kampala by industrial relations state minister Esther Anyakun recently.

However, what the minister and her team which comprised members of the labour and employer movements saw and heard, especially from employees was shocking.

“We are here due to the petition by the workers union under the Industrial National Co-ordination Council of Uganda in which matters of concern rotated around poor employment conditions, lack of proper labour management, inadequate occupation safety and health within the industrial park,” Anyakun said.

Betty Amongi, the gender minister interacting with Adam Sparre Spliid Deputy Head of Mission Embassy of Denmark in Uganda. This was during the 6th Annual Symposium on business and human rights in Uganda. (Photo by Nancy Nanyonga)

What the workers shared with the minister at the industrial complex, were deemed a flagrant violation of human rights which left representatives of the workers craving for stringent action from the minister against the proprietors of the factory.

Key of the violations reported to the minister included workers being locked in poorly ventilated processing compartments for long hours.

When the minister together with her team entered some of the processing compartments, proper breathing became a limited privilege compounded with stench from cotton and unmanageable heat.

“You see that clock on the wall, the moment you enter here, you are not even allowed to move out for fresh air, even going to the toilet you are timed,” a female casual worker who arranged cotton in the machine, said.

The minister demanded an explanation from the proprietor of the factory who denied some of the accusations claiming they follow regulations to the dot.

“Workers are paid between shillings 90,000 and 170,000 with no payment of payee as you earn and NSSF remittances, which contravenes the employment regulations of 2011 which allowed casual employment not to exceed four months,” Anyakun told reporters.

With such scenarios still existing as part of the bottlenecks to Uganda’s ambitious industrialisation agenda and business environment, the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) on Monday, November 4, 2024, during the sixth annual symposium on business and human rights at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, advocated for concrete steps to address issues of rights violations in businesses which are widespread.

Workers' rights

Delivering the opening remarks at a two-day symposium under the theme: Emerging Voluntary and Mandatory Frameworks: Strengthening Responsible Business Conduct in Uganda, UHRC chairperson Miriam Wangadya insisted that businesses must respect workers' rights and also influence others to do the same.

“Regardless of government actions, businesses should aim to respect human rights in all their activities by exercising due diligence,” Wangadya said.

Wangadya insisted that workers are entitled to a conducive work environment including being granted time to rest

“A person is not supposed to be on duty all through. There must be time to report on duty, work and go home to rest. While on duty they must have time to eat and refresh and have necessary protective gears such as gloves and gumboots, among others,” he said.

Presidential directive

President Yoweri Museveni has since asked employers to employ casual workers permanently.

“Some of the employers are not Christians, they have some elements of non-believers. Instead of using permanent labour, they use casual labour. Even if I am still getting a low pay because of other costs such as electricity, I should be permanent, not casual, coming and going,” Museveni said.

Museveni remarked while presiding over the 2024 International Labour Day national celebrations hosted at Mukabura Grounds on May 1.

Dr James Nkuubi while presenting a research report on the state of business and human rights in Uganda highlighted that challenges such as child labour and gaps inclusiveness for the different mechanisms to protect human rights are widely spread.

However, the deputy Danish Ambassador in Uganda, Adam Sparre Spliid noted that for the past six years, there have been good shifts in the legislative environment for corporations globally and that in Uganda it has been stimulated by the adoption of the national action plan on business and human rights.

Ability to deliver

According to gender minister Betty Amongi, while business enterprises remain a strong partner in advancing respect for human rights in Uganda, empirical evidence shows gaps comprising their ability to deliver positive outcomes.

“This includes inadequate business and human rights capacities and tools among businesses and limited innovations to ensure effective respect for human rights in business operations. The symposium therefore looks at the opportunity business enterprises bring to human rights through policy and innovations,” Amongi said.

She disclosed that there are several emerging frameworks on business and human rights which include the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and the European Union corporate sustainability due diligence framework.

“Objective two of the national action plan on business and human rights, aims at promoting human rights compliance and accountability by business actors. There are several strategies and interventions to be implemented to ensure respect of human rights by businesses, “she said.

Part of her ministry’s interventions she said have included training businesses in the oil and gas sector on business and human rights with emphasis on their roles.

“We have built capacity of local government staff in business and human rights specifically targeting community development officers and labour officers who are mandated to monitor respect for human rights by businesses within their respective districts,” Among said.

She added; “I encourage all participants to actively participate in the discussion to ensure that the outcome of the symposium is well informed by practical, realistic and workable strategies to achieve not only the specific objectives of this meeting, but also key actions agreed upon.”