Mauku clarified that domestic workers are; housemaids, shamba boys, drivers, security guards who work in homestead settings and any other workers who help with household chores.
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The National Union of Trade Unions (NOTU) has initiated a process of providing security for domestic workers through observance of International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions C189 about domestic workers, C155 on occupational health and hazards, and C187 about promotional framework for occupational safety.
The initial stage began with a workshop organized to raise awareness on the cited ILO Conventions held at OK hotel at Old Kampala which was attended by workers’ leaders from different labour unions affiliated to NOTU, NOTU Secretary General Richard Bigirwa, officials from Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development and leaders from the Federation of Uganda Employers Association.
Moses Richard Mauku the secretary general of Uganda Hotels, Foods, Tourism, Supermarkets and Allied workers Union and also the Treasurer General for NOTU noted that like all other workers, domestic workers have rights but that in most cases their rights are violated.
“It is the reason why they want laws which can allow workers’ leaders to inspect people’s homes to monitor the welfare of domestic workers,” he said.
Mauku clarified that domestic workers are; housemaids, shamba boys, drivers, security guards who work in homestead settings and any other workers who help with household chores.
“The purpose of the training is to raise awareness of the people that employ domestic workers and the workers themselves who do a lot of work in our homes but with many being treated as if they are the least useful people in homes,” noted the NOTU Secretary General, adding;
“People should know how important these domestic workers are, for example the house maids are very useful in our homes and so treat them like any other person in their homes.”
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He added that recently they have been inspecting work places like factories and hotels to check on the welfare of the workers during which they realized that homes need to be inspected too to make sure that domestic workers are treated well.
“We should provide the legal framework that protects the interests and rights of domestic workers and to also understand the important role they play in our homes,” Mauku noted.
He appealed to the government to provide the relevant legislation which is protective to the plight of the domestic workers.
In this training it was agreed that domestic workers should be defined in the employment act where they have definite clauses within the labour laws that can be pursued to take care of their socio- economic interests.
Geoffrey Kabi from the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE) observed that domestic workers also need gadgets like gloves, head gears, gumboots, overalls and other protective gear in order to protect them from health and safety hazards while at work.
“Some chemicals used to clean homes are dangerous to the workers therefore the employers or owners of homes must provide gloves and masks to the workers for their safety,” said Kabi.
One of the facilitators Ismail Kalanda, a Principal Labour Officer in the ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development pointed out that domestic workers should report to the labour officers in their local governments in case of any violation of their rights for them to get immediate help.
“Domestic workers are facing a lot of exploitation in homes, some are not given contracts, they don’t get leave and off days, they have unclear job roles and work many hours, and on top of that they are paid peanuts. We advise them to join and work with the labour movement for them to get help,” advised Kalanda.