The workshop brought together labour officers, workers’ councilors and other stakeholders, with a strong focus on improving awareness and enforcement of workers’ rights, as well as expanding coverage of NSSF services across workplaces.
Speaking at the workshop, NOTU Secretary General Richard Bigirwa urged labour officers and workers’ representatives to take a leading role in promoting NSSF services and ensuring wider social security coverage among employees.
He said labour officials should act as “key visibility agents” for NSSF by encouraging workers and employers to register and contribute to the national social security scheme.
Bigirwa also called on officials to lead by example by ensuring they themselves contribute to NSSF, saying this would strengthen confidence in the system and support national development.
He further emphasised the need to prioritise workers’ rights, noting that many employees face internal workplace challenges that often go unreported.
He also warned against corruption among labour officials, urging them to avoid soliciting bribes and to uphold integrity in the execution of their duties.
NSSF Board member and workers’ representative in Parliament, Agnes Kunihira, encouraged labour officers to fully utilise their mandates to protect workers and strengthen labour systems at all levels.
“You have a mandate to shape the workers’ interests by participating, including in recruitment processes, by laws at local levels, budget planning and implementation, among others,” she said.
Kunihira urged both employers and employees to prioritise registration with NSSF to secure future retirement benefits, stressing the importance of long-term social protection.
“We need to make sure that we fight for a better future for our workers,” she said.
Some participants raised concerns about operational challenges facing labour offices, including limited funding and transport constraints.
Rogers Kyakurugaha, a Community Development Officer representing the senior labour officer in Kakumiro District, called for increased budget allocations to labour offices to improve service delivery.
Kiiza Archellis, the labour officer for Hoima City, also called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to ensure workers’ rights are protected.
Jackline Bacwa urged employees to report cases of workplace abuse, including labour-related violence, to the relevant authorities for timely intervention.
Participants at the workshop agreed on the need for coordinated efforts between government agencies, employers and workers to promote safe and decent working conditions across workplaces in Uganda.