Save workers from exploitation
Feb 25, 2009
EDITOR—Don’t we have labour laws to protect Ugandans from exploitation by unscrupulous employers, who take advantage of the widespread unemployment in this country?
EDITOR—Don’t we have labour laws to protect Ugandans from exploitation by unscrupulous employers, who take advantage of the widespread unemployment in this country?
There are many private schools which recruit teachers without giving them appointment letters. When they ask for the letters, they are fired. But this vice is not restricted to schools. I know two reputable multinational companies with such poor labour practices.
One of them, is a mobile telephone company. My sister was hired by the company as a trainee at the call centre. For the time she was a trainee, she was not paid yet she was expected to report every day. How did anyone expect her to travel to and from work, pay for accommodation and food?
After the training, she was not given an employment letter with clearly stated terms of service. She had to quit.
There is also another profit-making company pretending to be a non-governmental organisation (NGO). By virtue of its NGO status, it does not pay taxes. Let us look at its employment practices: A young graduate living in Kampala gets recruited by the company and is posted to Gulu, Jinja or Mbarara.
They are told to pick their appointment letters, but the letters do not state the salary they will be paid. After getting the letters, they are asked to report to their work station within three days, but are not provided with transport. The company tells them to find ways of getting there and someone to support them until they get their first salary.
Why should the Government allow such companies to operate? Don’t we have labour laws in this country? Can the labour minister explain?
Jack Kamara
Kampala
There are many private schools which recruit teachers without giving them appointment letters. When they ask for the letters, they are fired. But this vice is not restricted to schools. I know two reputable multinational companies with such poor labour practices.
One of them, is a mobile telephone company. My sister was hired by the company as a trainee at the call centre. For the time she was a trainee, she was not paid yet she was expected to report every day. How did anyone expect her to travel to and from work, pay for accommodation and food?
After the training, she was not given an employment letter with clearly stated terms of service. She had to quit.
There is also another profit-making company pretending to be a non-governmental organisation (NGO). By virtue of its NGO status, it does not pay taxes. Let us look at its employment practices: A young graduate living in Kampala gets recruited by the company and is posted to Gulu, Jinja or Mbarara.
They are told to pick their appointment letters, but the letters do not state the salary they will be paid. After getting the letters, they are asked to report to their work station within three days, but are not provided with transport. The company tells them to find ways of getting there and someone to support them until they get their first salary.
Why should the Government allow such companies to operate? Don’t we have labour laws in this country? Can the labour minister explain?
Jack Kamara
Kampala