The Deputy Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Rt. Hon. Rose Namayanja Nsereko, has urged leaders of the NRM Workers’ League and trade unions to use their representation in government structures to influence decision-making and advance workers’ interests.
Namayanja made the remarks on Thursday while addressing senior leaders of the NRM Workers’ League, the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU) and the Central Organisation of Free Trade Unions (COFTU) during a retreat at Maria Flo Hotel in Masaka City.
The retreat, organised by NRM Workers’ League chairman and Workers’ MP Hon. Arinaitwe Rwakajara, focused on strengthening workers’ organisations and enhancing their contribution to national development.
Namayanja commended the government for supporting the workers’ movement and ensuring workers are represented at various levels of leadership, including local governments, districts and Parliament.
She, however, said representation should be used to influence decisions and provide leadership on issues affecting workers.
“Occupy your spaces there. You are the elite in these councils. Be a source of wisdom and guide the rest. Teach others what the workers’ movement is all about,” Namayanja said.
She also challenged workers’ leaders to expand their reach by mobilising workers across different sectors, saying many employees are unaware of the existence of workers’ organisations or how to join them.
Namayanja said workers are found in political parties, churches, markets, restaurants, media houses and other sectors, urging the leaders to take the workers’ movement to these communities.
“The further you can take this message about workers, the more relevant and indispensable you can become,” she said.
On concerns over the lack of a dedicated government fund for workers’ welfare, Namayanja said the Parish Development Model (PDM) was not specifically designed for workers because it targets households engaged in the subsistence economy as part of the government’s financial inclusion programme.
She instead challenged workers’ organisations to develop innovative initiatives through which government could support their members.
Namayanja cited teachers’ unions as an example, saying teachers had mobilised substantial resources through savings and credit cooperative organisations (SACCOs).
She urged workers’ leaders to study the teachers’ model and develop a similar initiative suited to their needs.
“You understand the workers’ terrain better than any of us. Come up with a creative way through which government can support workers’ unions and ensure that the message of the workers’ movement continues,” she said.
Rwakajara said the retreat was aimed at strengthening cooperation between workers’ organisations, the NRM and government.
He said participants discussed ways of promoting workers’ organisations, strengthening their relationship with government and ensuring workers benefit from national development programmes.
Rwakajara said many low-income workers, particularly those employed in small businesses and the informal sector, struggle to meet basic needs such as educating their children and establishing additional sources of income.
He said workers’ organisations were exploring ways of working with government to establish programmes or financing mechanisms to enable low-income workers to engage in productive side businesses and improve their livelihoods.
Rwakajara also highlighted unemployment and underemployment, saying some highly qualified Ugandans, including people with master’s and doctoral degrees, are working in jobs below their qualifications because they have failed to secure employment in their professions.
He said the Workers’ League and trade unions could work with government to identify qualified professionals and link them to areas where their skills are needed.
“We are trying to make sure that we have that link between government and workers’ organisations, the party and union members, so that our workers are also benefiting from their country and contributing fully to the transformation of this country,” Rwakajara said.
The retreat is expected to strengthen collaboration between the NRM Workers’ League, trade unions and government while generating proposals to improve workers’ welfare, representation and participation in Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
