URC staff worried over benefits
Nov 30, 2005
<br>OVER 1,200 Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) workers are worried that their benefits lie in balance with two days to the signing of the agreement handing over the corporation to new management.
By Chris Kiwawulo
OVER 1,200 Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) workers are worried that their benefits lie in balance with two days to the signing of the agreement handing over the corporation to new management.
The employees, under the Uganda Railways Workers Union (URWU), appealed to the Gove-rnment, saying they risked going away empty-handed since their benefits had not been approved.
URWU president Vincent Makombe said on Monday they were at a loss, as they did not know why the formula for payment of their benefits was facing huddles.
Makombe said early this year, the union agreed with the Government to consolidate URC employees’ salaries on paying their terminal benefits.
“Workers accuse us (union leaders) of being compromised. We don’t want a situation like what happened in 1997 when retrenched railway workers committed suicide over benefits,†he said.
OVER 1,200 Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) workers are worried that their benefits lie in balance with two days to the signing of the agreement handing over the corporation to new management.
The employees, under the Uganda Railways Workers Union (URWU), appealed to the Gove-rnment, saying they risked going away empty-handed since their benefits had not been approved.
URWU president Vincent Makombe said on Monday they were at a loss, as they did not know why the formula for payment of their benefits was facing huddles.
Makombe said early this year, the union agreed with the Government to consolidate URC employees’ salaries on paying their terminal benefits.
“Workers accuse us (union leaders) of being compromised. We don’t want a situation like what happened in 1997 when retrenched railway workers committed suicide over benefits,†he said.