Workers should Embrace Trade Associations

For some time now, Trade Unions are one of the oldest citizen form of organizing and associating tracing back to the Industrial revolution where production leaned towards labour intensive. It is upon this background that the International Labour Organisation set standards in Conventions more specifically to Organisations, Association and Collective Bargaining while at place of work. Subsequnetly, various countries have domesticated these standards into national legislations and Uganda is not exceptional. Various legal regimes such as the Constitution, Employment At, Trade Unions Act among others guarantee the freedom of Association.

However, very few workers are aware of the need to associate or if some are aware, they are ignorant of its benefits. Uganda has for some time had Trade unions of different professions and trade such as the Transport Industry, Medical, Textile, Teachers, Hotel and tourism among others and they have achieved a lot through collective bargaining.

I therefore urge workers to identify themselves with various Trade associations as it is not only their right but also their benefit in overcoming constraints of labour force in Uganda.

Michael Aboneka Jr

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