Trade Union movement: A good cause betrayed by self –seekers
AL-MAHDI SSENKABIRWA
KAMPALA. Mr Paul Oketch (not real name ) ,45 a worker at
one of the Sugar manufacturing factories joined the labour union 10 years ago
to enjoy the benefits of being unionized ( being protected from
unfair practices such as poor pay and working conditions and fair
compensation in case he becomes incapacitated or leaves the organisation
) .But for Oketch ,he has instead suffered the worst like other workers
who are not unionized .
He says, the union leaders who would have helped them fight exploitation of man by man they instead
connive with the employers to make life harder for them. Mr Oketch says their
plan to withdraw from the union, which deducts 3 percent of their monthly
salary to facilitate its activities have also been frustrated by both the
employer and union leaders.
“We are between a rock
and a hard place and our leaders are simply there to amass wealth for
themselves yet ordinary workers are suffering,” says Mr Oketch adding. “I even
find no justification of deducting 3 percent from my monthly salary to
facilitate a union which doesn’t help me .This is broad day thuggery!”
All unionized workers
on sugar and tea plantations scribe to National Union of Plantation and
Agricultural Workers of Uganda (NUPAW). But Mr Brono Pajobo, the secretary
general NUPAWU says some union members speak ill of their leaders because the
latter defeated them in elections. “We are making
some visible strides but the people who accuse us of corruption, nonperformance
have personal vendettas against some of us and we are unmoved by their
allegations.”he says
Mr Oketch is not alone in this boat. Thousands of workers
whether unionized or not are silently being oppressed at work places but they
fail to speak out because they are threatened with sacking by their employers
.Despite their failure to safeguard the rights of workers, unions are also rocked
by corruption and internal bickering which have crippled their normal
operations thus failing them make a case for an estimated 300,000 civil
servants and 11million private sector employees. Consequently, this has
led to splinter groups that are defeating the desired teamwork spirit.
The Central
Organisation of Free Trade Unions (Coftu) broke off from National Orgnasation
in the run –up to the 2006 elections, following elections in NOTU in which
Workers MP Dr Sam Lyomoku and Mr Christopher Kahirita emerged losers.
Later, the
Confederation of Labour Unions (Colu) was also created by disgruntled
unionists following another election in notu which was reportedly marred by
irregularities and threw out the maverick former vice chairperson Irene Kaboole
.This has deeply affected operations at lower level unions thus
suppressing efforts to mobilise and recruit new members to effectively defend
workers’ rights. At one point, Notu pushed for the deregistering of some unions
under Coftu ; claiming that they were ‘a duplication’ of already existing ones
under its fold. On top of internal bickering, unions are also dogged by massive
corruption which has eaten deep into the “bone marrows” of many unions with
leaders conniving with employers to suffocate the interests of workers.
“Some unions are
employers unions not workers unions .How can you be entrusted with powers to
fight for workers rights and instead take advantage of the disadvantaged
(workers) to achieve your selfish interests?.I recently opened a war against such
individuals and we shall get rid of such characters,” says Mr Stephen Baraza,
One of labour unionist activities and general secretary Uganda Horticultural,
Industrial, Service Providers and Allied Workers Union. He says it was
worthless to celebrate the annual Labour Day when helpless workers are still
being oppressed like it was before unions came in place. What is perplexing is
that the little visible success by the labour movement one can talk
of today was actually registered between the mid 1960s and 1980s where
union leaders then pressed government to introduce maternity leave, which was
declared in 1968 after convincing president Idi Amin to comply with
International Labour Organisation Convention on Maternity Leave, which
was provided for 45 days in 1972. They also advocated for creation of National
Social Security Fund in April 1968 and Shs6, 000 per month as minimum
wage in 1984.
But Dr Lyomoki , who
is also Coftu general secretary says despite having internal
bickering the current labour movement leadership has tried to deem
its image locally and internationally .
“As brothers of the
same family, such misunderstands are inevitable but we believe in solidarity
and it is through this that we have managed to achieve something,” he says
He cites the enactment
of the National Employment Policy, securing workers’ representation on the
National Social Security Fund board, and improving awareness about workers’
rights as some of the achievements they have registered.
“I don’t really think
that there is any employer today who doesn’t know that mistreating workers is
bad .We have done our part and what is lacking is taking action,” he says
He says the labour
movement currently boasts of at least 1.3 million members up from 500 people,
10 years ago. Despite challenges still dogging the Ugadan labour movement ,
there is still room for unions leaders to redeem their
image by borrowing a leaf from their counter parties in South
Africa ,Zimbabwe where unions truly serve the
voiceless workers and this has seen many of them raise from the shocking
slave wages inherited from the exploitative colonial labour system .
Sidebar information:
Global trends indicate
that the decline of trade unions is partly a reflection of how multinationals and
financial institutions like World Bank and the International Monetary Fund
impose conditions that render them useless. For Instance , since the 1980 when
structural adjustment programmes were recommended for most developing countries
,part of the conditionality has included contractual placements in their labour
markets which offer no chance for workers to become unionized . Therefore many
still suffer under the rigid framework of Export Processing Zones ,which are
controlled by multinationals that offer unfavouarable contracts shutting out
labour unions .Such corporations are exempted from local employer legislation
.Unfortunately , these governments readily turn a blind a eye to the horrible
conditions in sweat shops created for mass production ,in the name of inviting
foreign investors to create employment .
Things that still
affect the Ugandan workers:
-Abusive language by Managers.
- Deductions on workers’ salaries for minor offences without their consent.
- Deductions on workers’ salaries for minor offences without their consent.
-Employers deducting NSSF savings without remitting
it to the Fund
-Violation of collective agreements and labour laws by management.
-Violation of collective agreements and labour laws by management.
-Absence of minimum wage to protect workers from
exploitation.
- Unfair termination of services.
- Delay in solving grievance cases
-Lack of an industrial court which has denied
complainants an effective remedy for labour related cases
-Obsolete terms and condition of services.
-Obsolete terms and condition of services.
-Lowing the age of at which NSSF beneficiaries start
receiving pension on attaining the age of 50 years for those who are
unemployed and 55 years if employed
