MPs to revive efforts to advocate for minimum wage.

The Parliamentary Forum on Labor, Decent Employment, and Productivity’s legislators have once again urged the government to establish a minimum wage.

While at a training on policy making in Entebbe yesterday, the legislators expressed concerns that the fate of Ugandan workers has been left at the mercy of employees which has exposed many to exploitation and poor pay.

The Tororo woman member of parliament, Hon. Sarah Opendi, stated that labor is often exploited, particularly in the private sector. Everyone hires Ugandans at whatever rate they choose, and since people want to work, they just do it.

“We cannot continue promoting investors who are exploiting our people. There are efforts but they have not yielded, very soon we shall have this bill presented”

Workers MP Margaret Rwabushaija stated that laws pertaining to employee welfare must be addressed immediately and that Uganda is the only nation in East Africa without a minimum wage.

She pointed out that there has been a lot of back and forth over the minimum wage bill, and that the Employment Act has not yet been ratified. She questioned why labor laws are not given priority.

Pius Wakabi, a Bugahya MP, stated that they are ready to present their case to the government in order to change its mind about a minimum wage. He focused on the problem of Ugandans being underpaid.

The minimum wage bill of 2015, which aimed to establish a minimum wage determination mechanism across various economic sectors, was passed by the 10th parliament in 2019.

President Museveni, however, disagreed, arguing that putting a cap on pay would keep away investors.