The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Mr. Aggrey David Kibenge, has called for collective action by Government, Employers, Workers’ Organisations and Development Partners to promote decent and productive employment and improve working conditions across Uganda.
Mr. Kibenge made the call while chairing the inaugural meeting of the National Steering Committee for the Decent Work Country Programme III (DWCP III) in Entebbe. He emphasised the need to translate the concept of decent work into practical interventions that employers and workers across the country clearly understand and feel.
“Our strength lies in the principle of tripartism, which we must continue to guard jealously. Decent work cannot be delivered by the government alone; it requires Employers who invest in decent working conditions and Workers’ Organisations who give voice to the workforce,” Mr. Kibenge said.
He pledged to provide impartial leadership to the National Steering Committee and to ensure inclusive participation and consensus-building in guiding the Programme’s implementation.
The DWCP III provides an integrated, collaborative framework through which the government, Employers’ and Workers’ Organisations, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and other Partners will work together to advance Uganda’s decent work agenda.
The Programme provides a framework for mobilising the collective expertise, partnerships and resources required to promote productive employment, strengthen social protection, uphold fundamental principles and rights at work, and strengthen social dialogue.
“The Programme rests on four pillars: employment creation, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue, which speak directly to the realities of Ugandan workers in our factories, our farms, our markets and, increasingly, the digital and platform economy,” Mr. Kibenge said.
The DWCP III is aligned with Uganda’s national development priorities under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and supports Government’s broader efforts to promote productive employment, industrialisation, inclusive growth and improved working conditions.
Presenting the draft DWCP III Implementation Plan, Ms. Martha Irankunda of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development said the Plan is intended to provide a coordinated, efficient and accountable framework for translating the Programme’s commitments into concrete interventions and results.
She noted that the overarching goal of DWCP III is to promote productive, inclusive, and sustainable employment and livelihood opportunities for all in Uganda.
The National Steering Committee brings together representatives of the government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Employers’ and Workers’ Organisations, the ILO and Development Partners. It will provide strategic oversight and coordination of Programme implementation and promote joint action towards achieving Uganda’s decent work priorities.
