NAMANVE – A section of employees at Alfasan Uganda Ltd are up in arms against their employer.
They allege meager salary which also doesn’t come on time, long probation period and refusal to issue them contract letters despite signing them, poor welfare and failure to remit NSSF and PAYE despite deductions from their ‘miserable’ salaries.
They now want the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development to intervene.
The factory which is based in Kampala Industrial and Business Park, Namanve, manufactures veterinary medicine and other animal health products.
“When you come looking for a job, the said employer (Alfasan) gives you immediately on probation and promises to review it after six months. But you end up spending that period without getting a single pay. When you make noise, then they start paying you but inconsistently,” says one of the affected employees in a petition to the Ministry of Gender.
According to the petitioner, the situation has been like this for about five years and several complaints have been brought to the attention of the same Ministry and Mukono District’s Labour office.
“As we speak some employees are demanding three to six months’ salary but the bosses are not bothered. To make matters worse, our employer makes some of us sign contracts of three years but those letters are never issued to us after signing.”
Whereas employees are promised meals (breakfast and lunch), this offer is always on and off and sometimes they survive on an empty stomach yet they have to work from 8am-5pm.
“When our employer decides to pay us, he makes all the necessary deductions i.e. NSSF and PAYE but this money does not go to authorities. A few deposits have been made there after us making noise. But whenever we demand our rights, the employer threatens to terminate all of us and recruit afresh,” the petition seen by this publication further adds.
The disgruntled employees who say their bosses are never at office further allege that hiring mercenaries is now the order of the day to replace the stubborn ones.
They also plan to escalate the matter to funders and partners especially UDB and aBi.
“Our employers don’t give us any leave. We are supposed to be paid salaries not wages but our employers now even cut the days not worked.”
This publication understands these same issues were first brought to Mukono District Labour office in 2019 by one Robert Tigatoola on behalf of about 20 other employees.
He was then employed as Electrical and Instrumentation Technician with a gross salary of sh1m.
Dr. Stephen Birungi signed on the employment offer letter dated June 6, 2018 as the Managing Director.
Tigatoola even attached copies of DFCU bank account statement, statement from NSSF to justify that indeed Alafasan was a bad employer.
Then acting senior labour officer Doreen Belinda wrote to Alfasan seeking their response.
“This communication therefore is to draw your attention to the law and to require you to respond to this complaint within 14 days. Failure to do so, I will not hesitate to prefer charges against you in the interest of the law,” the letter dated August 8, 2019 reads in part.
The same matters were also brought to the attention of the Ministry of Gender on August 29, 2019.
It is not clear how the matter was concluded but the disgruntled employees allege nothing has changed since then.
Alfasan Uganda Limited and the Ministry of Gender have been contacted for a comment.
