Uganda
Workers' rights too limited in Uganda

afrol News, 1 November  - The right to set up independent trade unions or to strike is far too limited in Uganda, according to a new report. Ugandan trade union rights do not meet the international standards the government has obliged itself to.

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) yesterday presented its 2001 Survey on Trade Union Rights Violations, where the situation in Uganda was criticised, along with 44 other countries.

According to the report, all trade unions in the private sector have to become affiliated to the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU), which was set up by law. The ICFTU sees this as an example to the limited rights to freely put up trade unions.

- In order for a trade union to be set up it must have at least 1000 members and cover at least 51% of the workers concerned, the report comments. 

According to the ICFTU, however, the government has admitted that these provisions were not in conformity with the new 1995 Constitution and assured that it would endeavour to resolve this problem. "But no change has been made to date," the report adds. 

Further, categories of workers belonging to services regarded as essential - the police, the Army, prison personnel and many positions of responsibility - are excluded from the right to join a union. 

The right to strike is subject to complex procedures, "with the result that almost all of the strikes held in the course of the last few years have been illegal," ICFTU notes. 

According to the report, the government adopts "a passive attitude or even clearly sides with the employer." 

Even the role of the labour tribunal is called in question. Whereas, in principle, the tribunal rules in the final instance, its decisions have on several occasions been appealed before the Court of Appeal by the employers, who claimed that they doubted the impartiality of the tribunal.

Source: Based on ICFTU

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