Gov’t outlines remedies to labour externalisation challenges

Government through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has introduced measures to address existing challenges facing the country’s labour externalisation industry.

The development follows an ongoing deportation of African migrant workers including Ugandans from the United Arab Emirates.

While addressing the press in Kampala, Col. Charles Okello Engola, the minister of state in charge of labour, employment and industrial relations said that the labour externalisation sector faces numerous but nevertheless, government has come up with remedial measures to address them.

Amongst the challenges the minister pointed out are human trafficking, exploitation of migrant workers, lack of efficient and reliable rapid response system for protecting migrant workers and violation of the rights of migrant workers.

From now onwards, the minister revealed that government will only allow Ugandans to own and operate recruitment companies and foreign agencies will also be required to fulfill stringent requirements.

“All foreign recruitment agencies that present a job order for verification to the Ugandan mission abroad will be required to pay a fee of 30 US dollars for every vacancy on the job order,” Col. Okello Engola said.

He told reporters that this Non Tax Revenue expected from this measure will be used to support in strengthening externalisation of labour activities in Uganda, establishment of accommodation shelters for Ugandan migrant workers abroad and provision of consular services including the deployment of Labour Attaches.

Government has also made amendments on the Pre-departure orientation and training that is the period of training was increased from 7 days to 14 days to enable migrant workers acquire practical knowledge of their jobs and prepare them for cross cultural adjustment.

“Also the online system for management of external employment will be upgraded to allow distressed migrant workers to digitally report complaints to government,” the minister said.

Further, government has introduced strict sanctions against companies that charge migrant workers money and fail to externalise them and those that will be caught attempting to externalise workers who have not been cleared.

Meanwhile, bilateral meetings and monitoring visits will continue between government of Uganda and that of UAE to ensure workers safety abroad.