Workers union implores Parliament to pass NSSF Bill

Leaders of workers led by the chairman of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU), Wilson Usher Owere, have implored Parliament to pass the NSSF Bill in Tuesday's special sitting which is most likely the last sitting until after general elections in February.

"After hearing blame games from both the Parliament, the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development, and the committees handling the amendments of the NSSF Act in Parliament, workers are in serious consultations and have resolved to take action in case the Parliament fails to pass this Act into Law this week," Owere said in a statement issued Monday.

Owere also castigated the NSSF managing director Richard Byarugaba who recently said they don't have enough money in cash to pay the 20% to NSSF members which many are pushing for.

"Workers are disappointed with the NSSF managing director, Richard Byarugaba for telling lies that the Fund cannot afford to pay members and yet, he is on record having previously assured members that he was waiting for the law to be passed then pay the savers. Now that the amendments of the Act is in its final/ advanced stages, Mr Byarugaba is now speaking a different narrative, at the same time, contradicting his earlier position," Owere stated.

Owere wondered why Parliament could fail to pass the Bill when what is left to be passed can be done in very few minutes since there are two remaining clauses which were stood over.

The two remaining clauses include one regarding which ministry should be in charge of NSSF and the other is on whether the midterm access percentage should be set by parliament or be left to the NSSF board to determine.

There are fears among workers that if Parliament does not set the minimum and maximum range for midterm access and it is left to the NSSF board to determine how much to give as midterm access, the board would use flimsy excuses to deny members access to some of their savings to solve their problems

Although some MPs wanted NSSF to be under the ministry of gender, labour and social development, the president and cabinet resolved that it should remain under the finance ministry where it has been for the last 10 years.

Whereas since April there has been public pressure for NSSF to pay all NSSF members 20% of their savings to cushion them from the financial hardships caused by COVID-19, the joint gender and finance committee that handled the Bill resolved on a compromise position of providing for midterm access of 20% for members who have reached 45 years or those who have saved with NSSF for a minimum of 10 years.

Bulamogi County MP Kenneth Lubogo also presented a proposal to Parliament to add a clause in the Bill which would provide for an NSSF member who remains unemployed for over a year to get 45% of his/her NSSF savings for starting an income-generating venture and buying basic necessities in life.

Parliament has been recalled from recess to convene Tuesday to consider some urgent matters to do with the supplementary budget and tax measures.

After today's special sitting which starts at 10:00 am, Parliament will most likely not convene again until after the general elections have been completed in February 2021.

While concluding the last sitting of Parliament which was on October 7, the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga blamed the minister for gender, labour, and social development for delaying the passing of the Bill.

"Parliament is ready to pass the NSSF Bill. The minister for gender is responsible for this Bill but he is not here. I don't see him. And I didn't see him yesterday. It is the owner of the Bill who is not here," Kadaga stated.

The Speaker's explanation was in response to a press conference convened by workers leaders led by Owere in Mbarara at the beginning of this month during which they castigated Parliament for failing to the finish the passing of the Bill when they had already passed most of the clauses and stood over only two clauses.

"We are aware most of the 29 clauses in the Bill have already been approved by Parliament and what is remaining is just two clauses that can take only 30 minutes for the whole bill to be passed into law, why the delaying tactics? Workers appreciate the efforts put in by the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, but we want to see government ministers and Members of Parliament doing the same," Owere appealed.

At the beginning of August, President Yoweri Museveni had a meeting with the parliamentary committee that handled the Bill and cautioned the members against the proposal for 20% midterm access.