NOTU urges informal sector workers to formalise their businesses
“After internalising the research, we will disseminate the information to the communities. When some people carry out research, they don't give us feedback,” Bigirwa asserted.
Bigirwa said the formalisation of informal sector will help people to develop their businesses, and their voices will be heard by relevant authorities. (Credit: Wilfred Sanya)
The Secretary General of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU), Richard Bigirwa, has appealed to informal sector players to formalise their businesses to benefit from government programmes.
Bigirwa said the formalisation of informal sector will help people to develop their businesses, and their voices will be heard by relevant authorities.
He made the remarks while receiving a report made by the Global Initiative Fairness to support Uganda Hotels, Food, Tourism, Supermarkets and Allied Workers' Union workers to formalise their businesses.
The launch took place at the NOTU offices in Kira Municipality, Wakiso district, on July 4, 2026.
“After internalising the research, we will disseminate the information to the communities. When some people carry out research, they don't give us feedback,” he asserted.
NOTU should be built as a centre based on membership and should be focused on advocating and giving directives, Bigirwa said, adding that the report will help resolve challenges faced by the hotel sector.
“We have also developed another report with ENABEL, a Belgian Agency for International Cooperation, on how one can register their business,” he noted.
A lady in the food sector preparing tea, which is one of the businesses that need to be formerlised along Jinja Road in Wakiso district. (Credit: Wilfred Sanya)
Ssebandeke said they started working on the research with Global Initiative Fairness in November 2025 with a view to using the findings to help workers to formalise their businesses.
“We hope NOTU will use this report to advocate for workers' rights, mainly those in the informal sector,” Ssebandeke said.
He said this report should be used to encourage the Government and other stakeholders like the National Social Security Fund and Uganda Bureau of Statistics to bridge the gap faced by the informal sector.
Rita Namata, a member of the Uganda Hotels, Food, Tourism, Supermarkets and Allied Workers' Union, said the research that was carried out in Mbarara and Kampala found people having limited access to capital and markets due to poor location of their businesses, and gender discrimination.
"We are very excited about this report and believe that it will also help us to steer certain things we have agreed on to handle together with NOTU," she observed.