Chinese company lays off 120 workers

The China Railway Seventh Group Corporation (CRSG) has laid off 120 workers as civil works at the Fairway Hotel junction along Yusuf Lule Road and Mambule Road in Bwaise near completion.

The affected employees included mainly contract workers in the night shifts who were recruited to boost speedy accomplishment of the improvement of the two junctions.

The CRSG human resource officer, Steven Katsimbura on Sunday told journalists that the company had recruited 710 mainly semi-permanent workers, 677 of these Ugandans, to work on several ongoing civil works projects in the city.

The projects include road upgrading and junction improvement at Fairway Hotel along Yusuf Lule Road, Mambule Road in Bwaise town, Kabira junction in Bukoto, Kiira Road, Makerere Hill Road and Bakuli-Nakulabye-Kasubi roads.

He explained that Fairway Hotel junction and Mambule Road projects were in the final stages of completion and would soon be handed over to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and these would be followed by Kira and Kabira roads projects. The completion of these projects left many workers with no contracts.

According to Katsimbura, permanent civil works on Makerere Hill Road and Bakuli-Nakulabye-Kasubi had been delayed due to compensation challenges which KCCA were still handling. The delays had compelled the company to lay off a big number of workers and halted further recruitment.

"We hope works on these projects will commence soon after the challenges have been addressed after which we shall recall most of the workers who have been laid off," he explained.

The massive layoffs raised concerns from the affected workers who cited unfair treatment and untimely dismissal from work.

The workers' complaints prompted the Kawempe Division leaders led by the Mayor, Emmanuel Sserunjogi to intervene by storming the company head office in Kyebando to attend to the complaints. Sserunjogi wanted the company to iron out the issues with workers without causing stampede at the place.

The complainants told their leaders that they had not been informed in advance about the termination of their contracts and demanded to be reinstated, which the company management rejected.

 "We wish to inform the public that CRSG is a construction company and employment within construction companies is dependent on availability of works to do, if we have work we employ as necessary, but once the work is over we cannot keep them here" Katsimbura said.

He explained that they were forced to reduce on the employees because there was limited after completing most of the projects but pledged to employ them again if opportunities were obtained.

"Due to completion of some sections in our works, there has been a reduction in the volume of work; we have therefore suspended night shift works which has led to downsizing of the work force, which has affected a number of local staff," he explained.

Katsimbura said that the company had participated in a number of humanitarian activities, which included the recent emergency rescue when fire gutted Diana Pub in Kyebando rescue mission when a building collapsed at Makerere Hill near one of their works projects.

"Our company also continuously reaches out and conducts engagements with the most vulnerable groups along the project areas who include commercial sex workers, street children and schools," he explained.