Ugandan unions in joint organizing drive
The meeting was supported by LO-FTF, the Danish trade union council for international development, and brought together four IndustriALL affiliated unions from a wide range of industries including textile, energy, chemical and clerical sectors. There were three main objectives to:
- Develop an organizing strategy to overcome the challenges unions face.
- Develop an occupational health and safety (OHS) policy for each union, if it doesn’t exist.
- Draw a work plan on organizing, precarious work, occupational health and safety at the national level to target the excesses of precarious work and OHS.
A national organizing strategy was developed and adopted for Uganda by all participating unions which focused on three key strategies:
- Joint action by all unions on organizing
- Education for action on precarious work
- Capacity development for occupational health and safety
Engura Geoffrey, the General Secretary of Uganda Chemical Petroleum and Allied Workers Union commented: “The joint action strategy that we have built now through unity and cooperation, if managed properly, will bring change in labour movement within individual unions and East Africa as a whole. We appreciate our global union for this support.”
A national coordinating council of four committee members was formed which will help the project coordinator in the implementation of different project activities within the unions.
A national committee on OHS was formed comprising of eight members with two representatives from each union. Terms of reference for the committe was developed and adopted by all unions.
Affiliates generated different ideas for material development to help for organizing, precarious work and OHS.
Two mapping guide surveys for organizing were discussed and adopted by all the unions.
A national work plan was developed and adopted by all unions for joined action on organizing, precarious work and OHS.
Biryeri Zauja, the organizing and education secretary from the Uganda Textile, Garment, Leather and Allied Workers Union commented, “If affiliates can be committed, we see a bright future for labour movement in Uganda. By coming together we can build a strong pressure group on the Government to change policies on precarious work, occupational health and safety, and organizing."
The four IndustriALL affiliates at the meeting were:
- National Union of Clerical, Commercial, Professional and Technical Employees (NUCCPTE)
- Uganda Textile, Garment, Leather and Allied Workers Union (UTGLAWU)
- Uganda Chemical, Petroleum and Allied Workers Union (UCPAWU)
- Uganda Hotels Food Tourism and Allied Worker Union (UHFTAWU)
