The Labour Officer is the central figure in Ugandan employment disputes, with powers beyond mediation.
What the Labour Officer can do
- Determine the severance amount where the parties cannot agree
- Terminate a contract following the employer's inability or refusal to pay wages — which itself then triggers severance
- Handle complaints under the Employment Act
That second power is unusual and worth knowing. If your employer simply stops paying, the Labour Officer can end the contract in a way that preserves your entitlement.
Common grounds for complaint
- Severance not paid, or paid late
- Written notice without a stated reason in understandable language
- Termination without fair reasons
- Discrimination on a protected ground, including HIV status
- NSSF deducted but not remitted
- Wages unpaid
The penalty that helps you
An employer who fails to pay severance on time and in the prescribed manner commits an offence and pays a fine of twice the amount payable.
That is a meaningful deterrent and a useful point in any negotiation.
What to gather
- Evidence of your start date
- Payslips across your service
- The written notice and its reason
- NSSF statements
- Any collective agreement
- Correspondence with dates
The Commissioner and delegation
The Act provides that the Commissioner may delegate powers to a district Labour Officer at a district's request, and may revoke that delegation by written notice.
Unions
Where a union represents your workplace, the Act contemplates negotiation of severance through it. Collective bargaining agreements may provide expressly for severance or redundancy pay.
Act promptly
Records are easier to assemble close to the event, and terminal benefits are expected to be settled promptly.
Where to start
The Labour Officer for your district, under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.