Casual workers have rights too

Last week, tragedy befell workers at the Pension Towers construction site of Uganda’s National Social Security Fund in Kampala.

A wall collapsed on Tuesday morning and buried seven workers from Roko Construction Ltd, the contractor. What a shame for workers to be killed working for the workers’ fund!

This is not the first tragedy to befall workers at a construction site. Not long ago, 50 workers were buried alive in Bwebajja along Entebbe road constructing the new J&M Airport Hotel.

More casual workers die every day constructing latrines, schools and multi-storied residential houses. Their families are rarely compensated and because they are not unionized, there is no follow-up.

As for the seven who died last week, although their employer agreed to full compensation, because it had insurance cover for the project, the company does not allow its workers to form or be a part of a trade union.

It is high time all workers joined trade unions to protect their rights. In the case of construction companies, as National Organization of Trade Unions officials suggested, the first step should be to deny work to those whose workers are not unionised.