Platform for Labour Action (PLA) is a National Civil Society Organization that was founded in the year 2000. PLA is focused on promoting and protecting the rights of vulnerable and marginalized workers through empowerment of communities and individuals in Uganda.
Lives impacted
years of service
PLa is the lead agency of the 24 member Civil Society Organization Coalition on Social Security Reform. As part of the Social Security Stakeholders Transition (STG), PLA attended the launch of the second phase of the STG in April 2004, whereby it was intimated that the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development had adopted the report. As the coordinating organization PLA conducted consultative meetings with National Social Security Fund (NSSF) contributors in collaboration with MS Uganda under the theme “Transparency and Accountability to contributors: the Future of Social Security in Uganda.” The aim of the meeting was to give contributors a platform to express their concerns about the management affairs of the fund and the transfer of the NSSF from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to the Ministry of Finance in the wake of allegations of gross financial mismanagement.
PLA under The Civil Society Organizations Coalition on Social Security and Pension Reform is implementing a programme on social security and pension’s reform. The goal is to build a strong civic voice that advocates for contributor-centered reforms in the Social Security and Pensions Sector.
In 2004 PLA received accreditation from the Uganda Law Council to operate as a legal office. In addition to the support that Platform for Labour Action receives from outside counsel; Mr Angerett Sebastian of Angerett & Co. Advocates. The Practicing Certificate (PC) enables Platform for Labour Action’s legal officers to also represent clients in law courts.
In 2005, the Legal Department was able to attend to a total of 640 clients, 11 cases were carried forward from 2004, and 379 were new clients and 250 were domestic workers reached through legal aid clinic
A total of 120 cases were amicably resolved by the intervention of the Department through Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms and 199 cases were resolved administratively following service of demand notices on the employers, while 60 merited conventional litigation, and 13 cases were filed by the Department in various courts depending on the pecuniary prayers of each. The cases handled included wrongful dismissal, unpaid wages and terminal benefits and compensation for work related injuries. Our client base is comprised mainly of vulnerable, marginalized and undocumented workers such as construction workers, teachers, fuel attendants, bakery workers, casual labourers, market vendors and domestic workers.
In April 2005, the report on the key findings of the review of current legislation and policies in relation to children in commercial agriculture was disseminated. This report presents a summary to guide policy makers in making amendments to the relevant legislation and finding practicable solutions to address the problem of child labour in Uganda.
The department further provided legal advisory services, mediation and arbitration services and technical advise to employers and employees on the formalization of employment contracts. PLA has also made available to Community Based Organization (CBO’s) the procedures for assumption of a corporate legal personality.
The department has also hosted legal outreach clinic for domestic workers in collaboration with Children of Zion where 150 workers attended.
The problem of HIV/AIDs is a great one, not only for Uganda. PLA is working in the districts of Kampala, Wakiso and Lira to help in the prevention and mitigation of HIV/AIDs. PLA has held meetings with its community networks in Bwaise and Nansana educating and distributing condoms and IEC materials. It has also worked to extend its HIV/AIDs program to help women, children and youth in Lira Municipality.
Approximately 180 informal sector workers comprised of 45 women, 75 children and 60 youth have received training on HIV/AIDs. Peer educators have been involved in community outreach and sensitization, creating awareness through poster campaigns and the distribution of materials on HIV/AIDs with special focus on internally displaced people as a vulnerable group.
Through its awareness seminars PLA has been able to reach to over 800 adults. The organization has worked hand in hand with the community to produce informative and understandable posters to generate increased awareness and to target as wide as an audience as possible. These have been translated into two dialects Luganda and Langi. In 2005 Platform for Labour Action received a grant from the Canadian Development Agency for a project on HIV/AID prevention and impact mitigation among the children, youth and women working in the informal sector in Lira Municipality. Under this project the three groups each identified income generating activities that were supported to sustain their livelihoods and overall 341 women, youth and children were trained on entrepreneurship skills and business management. Click here to see the program photo gallery.
