Crest Foam told to wait for investigation reports before reopening

By Vivian Agaba & Faith Amongin

KAMPALA - The minister of state for labour, employment and industrial relations, Kamanda Bataringaya has rejected a request by Crest Foam – producer of mattresses – to resume work, more than two weeks after a fire gutted its premises.

He told reporters at a media briefing on Friday that he met the company managers and also inspected the premises located in Kampala.

Six casual workers were killed in the fire and property worth millions destroyed.

"The company managers wrote a letter to me asking to resume work, however, I have told them to wait until the reports on the actual cause of the fire is out next week and revise mitigation measures ," said Bataringaya.

 "After the reports are out, we shall sit with the managers and see how they can comply with the law and thereafter can allow them to resume work.”

The state minister advised the company officials to follow all the required procedures before requesting to get back to work.

"Do your part and follow the law. You have never reported this incident to the ministry as the law requires and you must do that before anything else follows.”

After the release of the police and ministry reports, immediate and long-term requirements will be put together for the company to resume operations.

Bataringaya also cautioned Crest Foam against rushing to compensate the victims of the incident without clearance from the ministry as per law, arguing that many companies have a tendency of underestimating the costs to be compensated.

On her part, Joseline Kateeba, the company’s managing director, said the degree of the losses is still being quantified and that compensation would also be handled.

According to state minister Bataringaya, the factory had only one entry which doubled as an exit – something he called unacceptable. Following that discovery, he said he would issue circulars to all companies to comply and have emergency exits.

Meanwhile, it was a little dramatic at the factory when journalists led by the ministry's commissioner, Patrick Okello were denied entry by the company's security personnel reportedly on orders of their bosses.

One of the guards had a bitter verbal exchange with Okello who was advocating for the presence of journalists inside the premises.

"Do not embarrass my minister. He is here to visit the company and I need to go inside with him together with these journalists," pleaded the commissioner.

But the guard stood his ground, and the reporters had to wait for the minister outside.



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