Uganda: Migrant Workers’ Body to Sue Govt Over Deaths Abroad
The Federation of Uganda Migrant Workers’ Associations (FUMWA) has notified government of its intention to drag it to court over the number of Ugandans who have died abroad during work.
In a notice through its lawyers of Guma and Company Advocates, FUMWA has petitioned the Attorney General notifying his office of their intention, to sue the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development for negligence, breach of statutory and constitutional duties and failure to protect Ugandan migrant workers through its licencing and regulation of recruitment agencies.
“The ministry’s regulatory framework suffers from significant deficiencies in monitoring and protecting workers cleared for deployment through recruitment agencies that lack jurisdiction or presence in destination countries,” the migrant workers’ body says in the petition.
“To make it worse, the ministry suspended licenses of recruitment agencies that had already deployed migrant workers under their follow-up and support, disguising this as a protective measure.”
The body says the suspension of the licences for some of the labour recruitment agencies didn’t solve anything since it didn’t protective mechanisms or support for workers already deployed by the same suspended companies, follow ups and engagement.
“This has left numerous migrant workers vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, disappearance, torture and neglect, with no urgency responsible for their follow-up or assistance.”
According to the migrant workers’ body, the Gender ministry’s actions and systemic failures constitute breaches of statutory duty, negligence, and violations of international obligations under ILO Conventions Nos. 97 and 181, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and bilateral labour agreements between Uganda and Saudi Arabia and conventions and agreements duly ratified.
It says , the migrant workers as other workers ought to have protection as enshrined in different legislations and conventions .
The migrant workers’ body says it wants government to carry out an immediate search, rescue, and repatriation of stranded or abandoned Ugandan migrant workers abroad and provide full accountability on all the USD 20 which are funds collected on job per vacancy and deployment clearance by the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development.
FUMWA also recognition by government as the official umbrella body representing migrant workers, ratification of ILO Convention No. 189 and suspension or recall of bilateral labour agreements with countries that have not ratified the convention and enactment of a comprehensive Act of Parliament regulating recruitment and deployment of migrant workers.
By Nile Post.
