By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
Government has been tasked to facilitate the industrial court in Uganda and increase on their staffing to reduce on case backlogs in courts.
The call was made by the party spokesperson Sharon Oyat Arach during a press conference at their party headquarters on Wednesday April 24.
The Industrial Court of Uganda is an established Court under section 7 of the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act, 2006 as amended to settle unresolved disputes between employers and trade unions over terms and conditions of employment. The court also aims to improve labour standards of people in Uganda and to provide a platform for people to equitably express their labour grievances so as to achieve equal Opportunity in Employment.
However, Arach says the inadequate funding and staffing gaps at this court limits access to employees thus creating case backlogs. She said facilitating this court will enable access to justice in line with this year’s International Labour Day theme which states; “improving access to labour justice; a prerequisite for increased productivity”.
“Uganda People’s UPC is equally making a recommendation that the industrial court that is mandated to handle worker’s cases should be well facilitated and staffed so as to be very much efficient and effective with no backlog cases. If fully adhered to, it meets the demands of the theme for International Labour Day”. Arach said.
Last year, the media reported that Industrial Court in Uganda was chocking with a backlog of 2,750 cases.
Lillian Linda Tumusiime Mugisha, the head judge of the court told the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) that they needed at least six years to handle these cases. According to Tumusiime, the backlog was due to understaffing. She said the court has only two judges of the recommended five judges.
“We are a panel of two judges serving a population of about eight million working Ugandans and a caseload right now is 2,750 cases which means on average each one of us has 1,300 cases to dispose of which is humanly impossible. That would mean if the two judges are to do this work, we will dispose of it within six years,” Linda Tumusiime told JSC.
During the press conference, UPC also demanded for strict observance to labour standards, laws and justice in all working environments and harmonious labour relationship between the employer and employee. The party says this will effectively improve efficiency and productivity at work.
In Uganda, celebrations for this year’s International Labour Day will take place on 1st May, 2024 at Mukabura Grounds, Fort Portal.
