Labour Day: Workers want change in NSSF law

National Social Security Fund headquarters in Kampala. The country’s workers have demanded that the NSSF Act be amended so that the distressed employees can benefit from their savings. FILE PHOTO  

In Summary

• Former four-time presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye first raised the issue of NSSF giving part of workers’ contribution to the members during the time of distress, to which the body said there was no legal provision to effect such payments.
• The NSSF managers then said it would be discriminating to pay members when non-contributing members would have nothing to lean on during this difficult time, a suggestion which was rebuffed by workers remitting social security tom NSSF.

By FRANKLIN DRAKU

The 2020 Labour Day will go down in the history with millions of workers depressed after they lost jobs, and some going without pay on a day that usually celebrate their achievements.

While addressing a press conference this week, the minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, said both the Labour Day and world day for occupational safety and health, would not be publicly celebrated.

“I would like to inform the public that this year’s International Labour Day Celebration, which is supposed to be held (today), May 1, in Mbarara, will not take place. The day, however, will be observed as a public holiday in our homes. We shall not have the usual public gatherings and the associated ceremonies for the same reasons stated earlier,” he said.

He also said President Museveni would address the nation, his 13th address since the first Covid-19 case was registered in Uganda.

Meanwhile, the country’s workers have demanded that the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Act be amended so that the distressed employees can benefit from their savings.

Mr Wilson Owere, the president general of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (Notu), said they have already agreed that the process be fast-tracked because a number of workers have lost jobs and those who are still working are unable to meet their needs.

“Actually that should be the biggest issue. We have already raised the issue to Parliament and the Bill is already there, so they must work very fast and amend the Act to save our members from further suffering,” he said.

Benefits
Mr Owere said workers should be paid their mid-term benefits, job loss payments, medical insurance and a number of other benefits.

He also said during their recent tripartite agreement with employers and government, they agreed that employers must be pay full salaries for March.

“That was our agreement because these workers worked full time in March, therefore, they must be paid in full, while for April, they can agree on how to pay the salaries. Those like factories that have not been so much affected must pay their employees full salaries,” Mr Owere said.

He also warned employers against sacking staff, saying the law will take its course.
By February, some companies had already sacked some of their staff.

“Those ones will face the law. In February, Covid-19 was not so much and anybody, who sacked staff during that period will face us in courts. Even now, no one is supposed sack any staff and any discussions about job losses will be handled later after the Covid-19 pandemic,” he warned.

Nearly a million workers in Uganda have already been rendered redundant since the first case of Covid-19 was registered in the country.
Uganda has 81 confirmed cases, 52 recoveries and no deaths.

Mr Tumwebaze said during their meetings with the employers and workers, they agreed to contact Parliament to expedite the process of considering the amendment of the NSSF Act as one of the instruments to address the social security needs of the contributors.

Responses
Parliament. It is not clear how far Parliament has gone with the amendment process.
Former four-time presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye first raised the issue of NSSF giving part of workers’ contribution to the members during the time of distress, to which the body said there was no legal provision to effect such payments.

NSSF. The NSSF managers then said it would be discriminating to pay members when non-contributing members would have nothing to lean on during this difficult time, a suggestion which was rebuffed by workers remitting social security tom NSSF.

fdraku@ug.nationmedia.com