Uganda: a renewal campaign

Abstract

ICTURINACTION□ UGANDA PROJECT Uganda: a renewal campaign PeterBarnacle,a visitinglecturer at Makarere University in Uganda, has used his timeinthe country to help ICTURand three Canadian unions supportan innovativetrade unionproject PETER BARNACLE isa Canadian lawyer and is Coordinator of ICTUR's Uganda project The is comprised the National principal of Union 169,000 labour ofTrade federation members Unions in in (NOTU) Uganda twenty is theprincipal labourfederation inUganda comprisedof 169,000membersin twenty tradeunionaffiliates. NOTUis thelabourcentral recognised bytheinternational labourcommunity and a member of the ICTU and the Organisationof AfricanTrade Union Unity (OATUU). NOTU affiliates are membersof ten GlobalUnionFederations. NOTU and its affiliates have gone through someverydifficult times, notsimply because of thecivilinstability thatcharacterised thecountry from independence in 1962through to 1986,the datethecurrent government tookpower, butalso as a resultof the implementation of IMF and World BankStructural Adjustment Programmes in the1990s.Privatisation ofstateenterprises was a particular sourceofjob lossas newprivate owners shed theirworkforce or asset-stripped the enterprise and disappeared- sometimeseven withoutpayingthe Government the purchase price.Budgetpressures also led to loss ofgovernment jobs. As a result, manyworkers were forced intotheinformal economyand stilltoday nearly 60 percent ofallworkers areintheinformaleconomy . Thelossofmembership hampered tradeunionactivity. However,in recentyearsprogresson labour issueshas indeedbeenmade.UndertheUganda Constitution, labour is considereda disadvantaged groupentitled to dedicatedseats in the National Parliament. FivelabourMP'sareelected and fourof theseare affiliated withNOTU. In 2006, Parliament completedratification of the eight ILO conventions underlying theDeclaration of Fundamental Principles and Rightsat Work (1998). Subsequently, new laws were passed to incorporate theseinternational commitments into domestic law. In 2007and 2008,I metwithNOTUofficials in Kampalato discussa potential partnership with ICTURto help NOTU develop capacityto supportitsaffiliates in a renewedrecruitment and organisation campaign. NOTUhasreceived international support fora number ofyearsfrom the Norwegian tradeunionfederation, LO-Norway, as wellas ITUC,ILO and otheragenciessuchas DANIDA.However,the conceptwe developed was nottoduplicate existing work, buttoengage ina project tohelpNOTUleaditsaffiliates inthis renewal campaign for trade union rightsin Uganda. We subsequently agreedto engage in a twophase projectfor which the contribution of ICTURwould be to provideinternational sponsorshipand exposureas well as administer project fundsotherwise raisedin the international labourcommunity. The first phase consistedof six initiatives to providethesupportforNOTU and affiliates forthesecondor campaignphase oftheProject. I ampleasedtoreport that through theassistance ofCanadiantradeunions,we are now intheprocessofwrapping up theactivities inthisinitial phase: ■ The Project financed theinstallation ofwirelessinternet attheNOTUoffices inKampala, as wellas committing topayment ofthequarterly service charges forthenextthree years. With thefinancial support provided from CanadabytheNational UnionofPublicand GeneralEmployees' (NUPGE),theold dial-up is goneandthenew internet service was put inplace inApril2009.Thishas significantly improved NOTU'scommunication and research capabilities. Wesubsequently wereable tosecurefunding formostoftheremaining first phaseinitiativesthrough thecontributions oftwo Canadiantradeunionfunds: theGlobal Justice fundoftheCanadianUnionofPublic Employees (CUPE) and theSocialJustice FundoftheCanadianAutoWorkers (CAW). I As a result, theProject financed thepreparationoffour research paperson significant labourissuesthat werepresented directly to His Excellency, President Museveni, bythe NOTUSecretariat ina meeting inOctober 2009.Thesecarefully researched paperscoveredtopicssuchas theneedforan employmentpolicytobreakthecycleofpoverty , a statutory minimum wage and socialsecurity improvements. The President has now requested a further meeting todiscussthe papers,butinthemeantime we understand thatan employment policyis nowbeingconsideredatcabinetlevelandthegovernment is actively considering theimplementation ofa minimum wage. II In November 2009,theProject funded a fourdayconference atwhichtheNOTUaffiliates participated ina strategic planning exercise. A consultant wasretained tofacilitate and assist inthedevelopment oftheresulting strategic plans,a processthatcontinues tothepresent. Wepresently havesixaffiliates inthethird andfinal completion stage,withsevenothers atseconddraft. In theupcoming second phaseoftheProject, we plantoassistindividual affiliates to canvasstheinternational labourcommunity through ICTUR'scommunicationsnetwork inorderto helpthemfind partnerships withother organisations that will assistintheimplementation ofthosestrategic plans. INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 20Volume 17Issue 1201 0 ICTURINACTIONH UGANDA PROJECT ■ Theremaining initiatives inthefirst phaseof theProject arealso nowbeingcompleted: funding forin-house research tosupport government lobbying and affiliate collective bargaining ; thedevelopment ofa NOTUwebsite; andinstallation ofa back-upsourceofpower atNOTU'soffices that willhelpNOTUcontinue tofunction inthemidst oftherather frequentpowerinterruptions thatoccurin Kampala. Recently, I metwiththeNOTU Secretariat and Central Governing Councilto takestockof our project to dateand discussthenextphase.As a result, one ofournextefforts willnow be makingthecallfor partnerships forthoseNOTUaffiliateswhowillhavecompleted thestrategic planning process.We are hopefulthatindividual tradeunionswillbe preparedto workwiththe NOTUtrade unionaffiliates who aredemonstrating theircommitment to improvethe lives of workers andtheir families inUganda. NOTU and its affiliates are now conducting aggressive organising campaigns andearly results are positive.For example,theHorticulture and Allied WorkersUnion has now negotiateda recognitionagreementwith the majorityof employers in theflower industry and is now in theprocessofnegotiating a collective bargaining agreementwith the employers' association. Progress has also recently been madeinorganisingin thehotelindustry and mediasector. The government seems to be interested in hearing whatNOTUhastosayon labourandsocialmattersand NOTUhas been invited toparticipate in a tripartite processwithgovernment andemployergroupson specific issues.Lobbying efforts...