By Otai James
Parliament has passed the Employment Amendment Bill 2022, which will see casual laborers who have served for six straight months deemed to have a valid contract.
The bill, which was passed by a majority vote, was tabled by the Minister for Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi.
The bill seeks to amend the Employment Act 2006, and among other things, it provides that an employer who employs a casual laborer for more than six months shall enter into a contract with the casual worker.
The bill also provides that the employer shall provide employment benefits to the casual worker, including but not limited to:
- A minimum wage
- Social security contributions
- Sick leave
- Maternity leave
- Annual leave
The bill was supported by workers’ representatives, who argued that it would protect casual workers from exploitation.
“We have been fighting casualization to the level of the International Labor Organization; shall we fold our arms when our people are being mistreated? We are saying that if somebody has worked for you for six months and you still need him or her, employ them,” said Workers Representative, Hon. Charles Bakkabulindi.