By: Nasser Kasozi
With many painful complaints by Ugandans going for work abroad, government has formulated a number of measures it says will curb illicit labour export and acts of human trafficking.
The minister of gender, labour and social development Janat Balunzi Mukwaya Confirmed the development while addressing the press at the media center in Kampala.
Mukwaya said in the MoU there are key measures formulated includes a bi-lateral agreement that was signed on 26 the June 2019 between the ministry and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“The signed MOU between the government of Uganda and UAE offers protection to our Ugandan migrant workers especially through strengthening cooperation by providing the legal framework in the employment of man power from Uganda to man power” Mukwaya explains.
She says this arrangement is imperative considering the fact that there are 40,000 Ugandan workers in UAE majority of who were recruited without any understanding.
Now that legal rapport has been established, Mukwaya says another 80,000 Ugandans are scheduled to transit to UAE for greener pastures in the next 12 months.
New Measures Prior to leaving the country, those seeking employment will have to agree to contractual obligations as stated by the employer. Categorically, this text written in English and Arabic shall be explained to the prospective worker by the local recruitment agency.
Upon arrival in the UAE, the worker shall sign an employment contract espousing the rights of both parties in lieu with the two countries labour laws.“The terms and condition of employment as stated in the contract shall not vary from those in the employment offer, except for alterations that are favorable for the worker”, Mukwaya explains.
On a lighter note, the employer will meet all recruitment cost, a development she says will end
Exploitative tendencies.On the side of employees, she says options are being explored on how they can be able to avoid exorbitant money transfer charges.
Unregistered labour companies will not be permitted to operate in the United Arab Emirates.
That said, Mukwaya says she has proposed for a joint committee to postulate ways on how to implement this arrangement effectively.
On Betty Nambooze On Mukono municipality MP Betty Bakireke Nambooze’s recent missives directed at labour exporting agencies, Mukwaya simply brushed them off.
She says before critiquing those creating employment for Ugandans, Nambooze should set up an entrepreneurial project to employ desperate youth.
Dissecting evidence presented, Mukwaya wondered how enslaved people can access phones with which they use to film themselves.
That said, Mukwaya cast doubt on the authenticity of some videos which she said are doctored.
“But when you look in the audios there, you find that this is a desert but the background there are plantations of Bitooke”, Mukwaya adds.
On the possibility of abolishing this companies and establishing a state entity to handle this business, she opined that this would promote racketeering.
It should be noted that yesterday while speaking on the floor of parliament, Nambooze called for a ban on these entities saying as of now 53 girls are stranded in Dubai.
