FUE May 2023 E-Newsletter - The Voice of Employers

ISSUE 52 | MAY 2023

AN OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE FEDERATION OF UGANDA EMPLOYERS

FUENEWS

THE VOICE OF EMPLOYERS

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Dear Cherished Member,

According to James Macintosh, ‘The Wealth of Society Is In Its Stock of Productive Labour’.

As the premier voice of Employers on social and economic issues in Uganda, FUE was delighted to participate in the 2023 International Labour Day celebrations that were convened in Namutumba District themed, ‘Promoting A Positive Work Culture and Ethics: A Prerequisite for Increased Investment, Employment Opportunities and Household Incomes’. Labour Day is commemorated annually

to celebrate the immense contribution of workers to national development worldwide. FUE greatly appreciates the entire workforce and business community for their hard work, dedication and commitment that has been pivotal to promote organisation growth and advance economic development.

The Employment (Amendment) Bill 2022 has been under review before the parliamentary committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development. FUE as a key stakeholder in labour and employment matters conducted various consultation meetings to incorporate Employers’ views and developed a position paper that was presented to parliament. On Wednesday 24th May, Parliament passed the long-awaited Employment (Amendment) Bill 2022, dropping the proposal to increase maternity leave for women that give birth to more than one child from 60 to 90 working days and in addition the recommendation to increase the number of days for paternity leave from four to seven working days was declined. We look forward to the President assenting this bill into law.

Our affiliation to significant institutions such as the Presidential CEO Forum (PCF) has steadily continued this year. The PCF hosted a feedback session to deliberate on key strategic interventions from business excursions in order to address the underlying factors that must drive the business agenda in Uganda and across borders. Discussions focused on mindset change, extending support to the diaspora community and wide marketing of products and services offered to attract potential investors. It’s imperative to note that since the inauguration of the PCF, it has had four engagements with the President with the next meeting slated for July 2023.

In anticipation of the 2023/24 National Budget reading next month, we applaud Employers for their tremendous role in raising the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 4.4% by close of 2022. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Uganda’s GDP is projected to rise to 5.5% in financial year 2023. Special thanks to key players in the agricultural, manufacturing and services sectors that have consistently been the main contributors to GDP growth over the years.

Furthermore, FUE remains committed to ensuring all Employers operate within the parameters of the law and comply with policies and regulations that govern the world of work because, ‘Every Good Employer is a member of the Federation of Uganda Employers’. Keep up the good work!

Thank you,
Together for Employers.

Douglas Opio

Executive Director.

The Executive Director’s Message
International Labour Day 2023
The Development of the National Labour Market Information System Master Plan for the Implementation of LMIS
The FUE-ILO Child Labour Due Diligence Training
Understanding Human Resource Legal Compliance At The Workplace Training
FUE Participates In NOREC Partners Training
The Employers’ Industrial Relations Clinic
The Private Sector Corruption Reporting Facility
The Malkia Course 2023 Intake!
New Member Alert!
Member Advertorial
Upcoming Event
Obituary

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY 2023

On 1st May 2023, Uganda joined the world to commemorate International Labour Day at the Namutumba District headquarters. The theme for this year was, ‘Promoting A Positive Work Culture and Ethics: A Prerequisite for Increased Investment, Employment Opportunities and Household Incomes’. H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni graced the national celebrations as Guest of Honor with government officials and other dignitaries in attendance.

In his speech, the President emphasised the need to create more jobs to curb the high rates of unemployment. He implored Employers and other participants to exploit and benefit from the Parish Development Model (PDM) aimed to create over 70 million jobs in 7 million homesteads nationally to improve livelihoods. H.E. Museveni further criticised corruption, embezzlement of funds and misuse of office especially in the public sector that have hindered economic development.

In addition, Our Chairperson Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha reiterated the commitment of the Federation to strengthening existing partnerships and social dialogue with the government to address issues in the informal economy. He requested government leaders and other key stakeholders to facilitate the transition from informal to formal economy to broaden the tax base and increase national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

At the event, 64 individuals were awarded with medals in recognition of their selfless service to our great nation.

FUE celebrates the entire workforce for the determination and continuous efforts to advance sustainable development. We remain committed to working with tripartite partners to improve livelihoods and enhance job creation.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION SYSTEM MASTER PLAN FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LMIS

The Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE) was represented at a workshop for the validation of Labour Market Information System (LMIS) National Indicators for Uganda and finalization of the designing and upgrading requirements of LMIS as per specific needs identified in the assessment phase of the National Labour Migration data capacities.

The Labour Market Information System Master Plan is developed to define and present in more details all concepts related to labour market data information that are to be used into a single repository LMI system for quick access reference and data analysis by all stakeholders.

The three-day Workshop was organised from Monday 8th to Wednesday 10th May 2023 at Nile Resort Hotel, Jinja by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Besides the organisers and FUE, the meeting was attended by officials from Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bank of Uganda (BOU), National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), Uganda Free Zone Authority, National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), National Organisation of Trade Union (NOTU), Central Organisation of Free Trade Union (COFTU), Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA), and Migrant Labour Trainers Association.

The Labour Market Information System aims to bridge the information gap among data producers and users by providing a free data dissemination system for easy access to civil society and stakeholders, such as government institutions, statistics agencies, employers, unions, universities, technical colleges, and the Education Sector.

According to the European Union Commission, the Labour Market Information System is a mechanism or a process for gathering, organizing, providing, and analysing information about the state of the labour market, occupation and job, including key changes taking place in the labour market.

It is a network of institutions, persons and information that have mutually recognized roles, agreements and functions with respect to the production, storage, dissemination and use of labour market related information. Labour market information systems provide an essential basis for employment and labour policies, and inform the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies that are better focused and targeted.

All the relevant Labour Market Information System National Indicators for Uganda were validated and the National Labour Market Information System Masterplan developed. However, what remains to be done to before this National Labour Market Information System Masterplan is shared include the following:

Development and submission of a concept note to Better Regional Migration Programme for some basic LMIS functional requirements.
Updating of the LMIS master plan to incorporate inputs from the workshop on LMIS migration data indicators.
MGLSD and LMIS team to update and finalize the 3-year costed budget and incorporate inputs of the group members arising from the workshop so that the document can be shared with the identified relevant development partners (IOM and other UN Agencies) before it is finally disseminated.

THE FUE-ILO CHILD LABOUR DUE DILIGENCE TRAINING

In Uganda, according to the National Labour Force Survey (2021), 6.2 million (40%) of the children aged 5 to 17 years were involved in child labour (excluding household chores). The proportion of 5 to 17 year old children involved in child labour is higher among children in rural areas (42.3%) compared to those living in urban areas (31.8%). Due to this, the International Labor Organisation (ILO) is implementing a regional project ‘Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa’ (ACCEL Africa) funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands with particular focus on the specific supply chains namely Cocoa, Coffee, Cotton, Gold and Tea.

FUE in collaboration with the ILO conducted a three-day child labour due diligence training from 3rd to 5th May 2023 at Hoima Buffalo Hotel with over 34 participants in attendance from both multi-national companies and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The main objective of the training was to strengthen the capacity of businesses to apply the ILO-IOE guidance tool in their child labour due diligence efforts.

The training package included the seven steps for due diligence namely policy, assessment, taking action, tracking performance, communication, stakeholder engagement, remedy and grievance mechanisms. Participants were also taught how to develop a work plan to eliminate child labour in supply chains. In addition, Employers were enlightened to improve business understanding of the ILO/IOE Child Labour Guidance Tool for Business, the relevant components of the UNGPs as well emerging frameworks and market driven practices.

Child Labour is accelerated by poverty, limited access to education and poor legislation. There is need for collaboration and multi-stakeholder approach to eliminate child labour in all supply chains to preserve the future workforce.

UNDERSTANDING HUMAN RESOURCE LEGAL COMPLIANCE AT THE WORKPLACE TRAINING

The main role of the Human Resources (HR) department in an organisation is to bridge the gap between Employers and staff in the course of employment. In a bid to ensure employers uphold best HR practices, we conducted a general training on, ’Understanding HR Legal Compliance At The Workplace’ from Tuesday 16th to Wednesday 17th May 2023 at the FUE Training Centre in Kiwanga-Namanve. Participants included HR managers, legal officers and supervisors among others.

The training provided a detailed discussion on employment laws and legal requirements for Employers to get acquainted with their roles and responsibilities. Participants also understood the legal framework, policies and procedures for compliance. Additionally, the audit process, methods to gather information, data analysis and report writing were articulated as key tenets to ensure compliance with data protection laws.

The HR Compliance audits are significant for corrective action to boost a conducive business environment. Employers are encouraged to uphold labour standards and operate legally to foster maximum productivity and promote decent work.

To request a customised training, contact Yusuf Nsubuga, the FUE Training Manager, yusuf.nsubuga@fuemployers.org

FUE PARTICIPATES IN NOREC PARTNERS TRAINING

Work Exchange Programs are significant methods to promote innovation, inspire knowledge and skills transfer as well as build networking opportunities. FUE participated in a training organised by Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (NOREC) held in Nairobi, Kenya. The participants included partners and stakeholders funded by NOREC.

FUE and Tinkr are participating in a work exchange program facilitated by NOREC. One of our staff in the Human Resource, Training and Consultancy (HRTC) Department is currently working in Tinkr, Norway while a staff from Tinkr is working here at FUE. This exchange program seeks to equip us with the innovation skills, improve service delivery and develop skills that can be passed on to the whole organisation.

Therefore, the NOREC training was intended to equip partners and stakeholders with insights on the NOREC model, roles, responsibilities, values and guidelines. It was an opportune moment to engage on project management, transfer of knowledge, inter-cultural communication, diversity management, internal and external communication as well as ethical guidelines in practice.

We encourage Employers to adapt work exchange programs and job rotation at the workplace to increase employee engagement, develop variety of skills and enhance career development. Staff can be rotated in various departments to reduce burn out and gain new experience in different fields.

THE EMPLOYERS’ INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS CLINIC

One of FUE’s core services is Employment Relations and Legal that ensures Employers operate within the standards of the law to create a harmonious working environment. The Employers’ Industrial Relations Clinic was conducted on Thursday 25th May 2023 at the FUE Head Offices. Participants included human resource practitioners, legal personnel and other relevant stakeholders.

The Industrial Relations Clinic provided a platform to equip organisations with basic skills to deal with labour challenges and share experiences. The discussions centered on constructive termination to eliminate litigation and long court processes. The need to create a pleasant working space was highlighted to improve service delivery and maximum productivity.

Employers have faced various challenges trying to solve cases at the industrial court due to workplace issues arising from limited knowledge. FUE is readily available to guide and support incase of legal issues.

THE PRIVATE SECTOR CORRUPTION REPORTING FACILITY

The Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and Enabel, the Belgian development agency with support from European Union are implementing a Private Sector-led Corruption Reporting Facility (CRF) to address corruption related incidents. The purpose of this reporting is to enable analysis, inform policy and promote corrective action.

FUE has partnered with PSFU to raise awareness about the CRF among Employers to eliminate corruption at the workplace. The CRF is a set of tools for reporting corruption with the data collected aimed at facilitating evidence-based dialogue and advocacy on ending
the vice in the business sector.

As a key stakeholder on policy and advocacy in Uganda, we are committed to working with the government and private sector to develop favorable policies for a conducive business environment.

For more information on the CRF: https://corruptionreports.ug/

THE MALKIA COURSE 2023 INTAKE!

The Malkia 2023 Intake is Open for Applications!

Malkia is a course designed for women managers to thrive in the workplace and will be conducted virtually from 4th September to 6th October 2023 by FUE in partnership with the International Training Centre (ITC) Turin, Italy.

Course Fees: UGX. 1,100,000/=

Sign up today: https://oarf2.itcilo.org/EMM/A1716598/en

For inquiries contact Fatmah Nsereko, fatmah.nsereko@fuemployers.org and Sharon Amumpire, sharon.amumpire@fuemployers.org

NEW MEMBER ALERT!

A warm welcome to Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE), a new esteemed member of the FUE family. UIPE’s mission is to nurture and promote excellence in the science and practice of engineering in Uganda. We look forward to a fruitful membership journey as we serve the engineering fraternity.