Uganda Law Society gives green light to Minimum Wage Bill

PIC: Uganda Law Society vice-president Alice Namuli (left) with her team while appearing before the  Equal Opportunities Parliamentary Committee at Parliament today. (Credit:Kennedy Oryema)

LABOUR | MINIMUM WAGE BILL | UGANDA LAW SOCIETY

The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has given green light to the Minimum Wage Bill currently before Parliament, arguing that it will greatly help in minimizing the exploitation of workers in Uganda.

Presenting their views to the Parliament gender committee yesterday, the delegation from Uganda Law Society, led by its vice-president Alice Namuli, said the law is long overdue.

"Uganda last set a minimum wage at sh6,000 per month for all workers in 1984. This renders Uganda non-compliant to its international obligations of having a framework for ensuring that all workers have fair wages," the group said in a statement read by Brian Emurwon.

The group, however, disagreed with Clause 14, which indicates that where negotiating parties fail to reach an agreement as to the minimum wage, the matter will be referred to the industrial court for determination.

The Uganda Law Society suggested that a specific minimum wage should be provided for, instead of dragging a potential employer to court, which would decrease investment in human resource.

"Since the initiative of a minimum wage is to protect workers with low bargaining power from exploitation, a statutory minimum wage should be stipulated so that an employee can receive an amount premised on specific requirements," they argued.