Chief justice demands more funding for Industrial Court

Presiding over the IC open day on Friday at Ntinda, Katurebe said that since the IC is a collective resolution of cases between the workers and their employers, it is very important in promoting good relationship amongst the conflicting parties who pay tax to the government.

Katureebe asked the government to work closely with the judiciary in promoting the alternative dispute resolution through giving adequate support in carrying out sensitization about the advantages of the alternative conflict resolution countrywide.

He advised the registrar of the IC, Sylvia Nabaggala to work closely with the chief judge Asaph Ruhindi to ensure that more registries are opened in most of the key towns across the country to make it accessible to people who needs its services.

The Chief Justice Bart Katureebe and the Chief Judge Asaph Ruhinda

"I am very concerned because of the limited reach of this court, yet it plays an important role in Labour case resolution" Katureebe said.

He said that the IC open day, which was the first of its kind since its operationalization in 2014 was a statement of faith that it was growing into maturity.

Katurebe tasked the chief judge of the IC Ruhinda to consult the Attorney General, Fred Ruhindi and the minister of Justice, Kahinda Otafire to study the conceptual legal status of the industrial court.

He commended the staff of the IC for the great work which has made the IC to become more popular and promised to work closely with them in promoting it.

The permanent secretary in the ministry of gender Pius Bigirimana promised to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the IC operates independently.

"I know the IC has a lot of challenges from lack of adequate staffing, budget but if I managed to ensure its operationalization yet I was appointed in the middle of the year, how can I fail at this point" Bigirimana said.

The Chief Justice, Bart Katureebe inspects the guard of honour during the Open Day of Industrial Court

 

In her remarks, Nabaggala said that the IC is led by the chief judge currently Justice Asaph Ruhinda and deputized by justice Lilian Tunusiime.

She said that it also consists of a panel of 11 members representing workers, employers and an independent member who are mandated to dispose off Labour disputes in cases where Labour officers fails to resolve them within 8 weeks.

Nabaggala said that 148 cases have been resolved and pending cases are 885 cases.

The staff of Industrial Court marching during the Open day for Industrial Court

 
She commended Bigirimana for releasing a supplementary budget for IC when it was about to close over its members accumulative arrears.

According to Nabaggala although the IC helped the civil divisions of the high court to reduce on its case backlog, it operates without a library for references.

A cross section of participants at the Industrial Court opening day