By Juma Kakkomo|
The opposition Democratic Party (DP) says there is no need to celebrate the international lobour day in Uganda due to the ongoing situation lobours pass through.
International lobour day is also known as international workers’ day and it’s a public holiday in many countries worldwide. It usually occurs on 1st May every year which was celebrated yesterday worldwide and in Uganda the main celebrations occurred in Namutumba district which was graced by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Addressing the media on 02nd Tuesday at DP headquarters Kampala during its weekly presser, the president of Uganda young democrats Ismeal Kiirya noted that labours in Uganda are suffering due to poor working conditions including poor pay leading to ineffective service delivery thus puts the country at stake.
He adds that the shooting and killing of the state minister for Labour, employment and Industrial Relations, Col (Rtd) Charles Okello Engola by his body guard on 02nd Tuesday morning at his home Kyanja a Kampala suburb clearly stipulates what DP utters out loudly.
“We need to improve labour working conditions in Uganda to also improve the expansion and effective service delivery” Kiirya said.
In the same vein Kiirya highlighted the need for the introduction of more labour unions in the country to advocate for labours saying the available ones are partisans leading to the continuous suffering of labours.
“Currently medical interns are fighting for their freedoms, they ending up being arrested but no any lobour union comes out to advocate for them, national social security funds (NSSF) also pays headache to workers to access their money this is the situation in the country” Kiirya added.
He further appealed to all government officials especially high profile ones with security officers to also be part of knowing and handling their problems amicably as a way to keep their lives safe.
“You cannot allow a desperate person to hold a gun to protect a person who is well-off, the repercussions could not be good” Kiirya said.
Kiirya recommends ministers to at least share something little with their security officers than leaving them to wait for government to look after them because it puts them in danger citing out the incident of now late Col, (Rtd) Charles Okello Engola who has been serving as the state minister for Labour, employment and Industrial Relations in the ruling NRM government.
