KAMPALA – Civil Society Organisations have decried continuous occupational harassment in different sectors.
These say that public sector workers especially women face a lot of sexual harassment, sextortion and violence with nowhere to run.
Speaking during an occupational safety meeting between civil society and officials from several ministries at Imperial Royale Hotel on Wednesday, Okello Musa – Ag Chairman General, National Organisation of Trade Unions – NOTU said that sextortion has become a pandemic within public services especially in sectors of education, “mainly used as a weapon for marks, job securing. transfer, and promotions”, Health sector and Local Government for promotion purposes.
He says that in utilities, workers face violence from customers who do not want them to either read the meters or execute disconnections.
“Instances of dogs being released or female customers trying to sexually harass the male workers are rampant and even staff being physically beaten.”
He says there is an unprecedented increase in financial harassment where workers’ allowances are reduced or charged.
Musa says many employment and promotion opportunities have been monetized, causing great psychological harm to many workers.
“Workers are requested to make kickbacks by managers when nominated for field work on what is part of your per diem. If a worker refuses to comply the names are withdrawn.”
He notes that in the health sector, workers are harassed by senior staff and patients.
“One of our colleagues shared an experience when she transferred a mental patient from Mukono to Butabika. One mental patient chased her around Butabika Hospital claiming she was his wife. There was no one to come to her rescue as there was no security to come to her aid and other health workers were also occupied. To date, she still suffers from the trauma of the experience.”
CSOs say in the Utilities sector, workers have been subjected to unsafe work environments as a result of exposure to chemicals.
In the Energy sector, for instance, they say that whereas overalls are provided, this does not take into account gender sensitivity and needs.
In the agriculture sector, they note that workers are also faced with challenges of exposure to chemicals, unsafe working environment, lack of adequate PPEs etc
According to the CSOs, there are no mechanisms for clear reporting especially in the absence of a committee that has workers’ representatives that would create a safe space for workers to report incidents of workplace violence.
They also decried the absence of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) to address the gaps identified challenges.
“In terms of the employment act that talks about sexual harassment in workplaces, it was observed that: Article 7.4 specifically requires “Every employer who employs more than twenty-five employees is required to have in place measures to prevent sexual harassment Occurring at their work place”, and many others. This requirement of only companies with above 25 employees leaves out so many companies whose employees are not protected from harassment. This is a big gap.”
They also noticed the lack of labour inspectors to provide the Ministry of gender, labour and social development with a clear state of occupational health and safety of workers.
Dr. Byakatonda Abdulhu, Workers’ Member of Parliament, notes that occupational safety and health is a fundamental human right that every worker deserves.
This, he says encompasses creating safe working environments, preventing accidents, protecting physical and mental well-being, and ensuring dignity for all workers.
However, he notes that violence and harassment persist as pervasive issues faced by many individuals across various industries.
He was, however, optimistic that the dialogue would play a critical role in formulating comprehensive policies, laws, and regulations related to safety and health management.
“With input from all stakeholders, this process shall ensure inclusivity, fairness, and effectiveness in addressing violence and harassment. Issues such as reporting mechanisms, grievance procedures, support services, and legal frameworks can be developed through consensus- based decision-making, providing a strong foundation for sustainable change.”
He notes that there is a need to promote a culture of respect, equality, and non-discrimination in the workplace.
“It is worth noting that this dialogue alone is not sufficient; concrete actions must follow suit. The ILO resolution encourages the implementation of comprehensive OSH management systems that prioritize prevention, early intervention, support services for victims, and accountability mechanisms. These measures complement ongoing efforts to eradicate violence and harassment from workplaces worldwide.”
In response, the Ministry of Education blamed “moral decay” in the society which leads to harassment at work.
“There is a bit of moral decay in society because why should a doctor sexually harass a nurse or a patient yet they know the ethics and values of medics? So let’s educate our children right from home before we can send them to school to become doctors and teachers because all these things start from home.”
“If these morals are not taught to children as early as possible, then we are bound to get doctors who harass the nurses. It’s now our policy that every institution, including the private ones, have breastfeeding corners on top of the maternity leave of 90 days.”
Asks
The CSOs tasked the government with Labour Inspectors and Labour officers.
“OSH Act provides for labour Inspectors, but this has not yet been implemented considering the importance of labour inspection in ensuring the creation and Implementation of OSH towards safe and healthy workplaces, it’s important that the Ministry of Labour establishes this for the main purpose of ensuring that we as public sector worker provide quality and effective public services.”
They also want harmonisation of labour-related laws
“There is a need for harmonisation of the various labour laws so that we do not have contradictions/gaps. For instance, the Compensation Act outlines the responsibility of labour officers in case of injuries etc. However, if the new employment act, reduces the powers of the labour officers then this creates confusion and discourages workers who find it easier to reach out to labour officers located in various districts.”
They also seek the creation of OSH committees in various workplaces, domestication of Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 on the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work.
