Usher Wilson Owere, the NOTU Chairperson, says that they have given parliament an ultimatum of up to November Thursday 18th, 2021 to pass the bill into law to allow workers access their savings, or else they mobilize workers to protest the delay.
The National Organization of Trade Unions (NOTU)
has threatened to mobilize workers countrywide to protest the delayed processing
of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) amendment bill.
Although the NSSF Bill appears under the
business to follow for debate on
the order paper, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among, skips it saying that there is a need for the legislators, the majority of whom are new and unfamiliar with the bill, to first read and understand it before they can debate it.
The bill was processed by the Gender Labour and Social Development
Committee of Parliament. The bill, which seeks to allow Ugandans who are 45 years
old and have saved for 10 years to access 20 percent of their savings, was passed by the 10th Parliament. However, it was never assented to by the
president.
As a result, the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah declared as part of the business
that had elapsed
and needed to be processed afresh. Now, Usher
Wilson Owere, the NOTU Chairperson,
says that they have given parliament
an ultimatum of up to November Thursday
18th, 2021 to pass the bill
into law to allow workers access their savings, or else
they mobilize workers
to protest the delay.
//Cue in: “We are
giving…
Cue out:…factories and everywhere”//
Owere said that initially the bill was being processed at a fast pace as the Speaker since the speaker only gave the committee 10
days to process it but they are shocked by the delay.
The NSSF Bill also seeks to provide for the
Supervision of NSSF between the Ministry of Gender and Finance, provide for midterm
access for persons with disabilities and regulate the role of the NSSF Managing Director
on the
board of NSSF.
Alex Otto
Freelancer