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Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - Uganda (RATIFICATION: 1963)

Article 1(a) of the Convention. Penal sanctions involving compulsory labour as a punishment for holding or expressing political views or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system. For a number of years, the Committee has been referring to the following provisions of the national legislation, under which penal sanctions involving compulsory prison labour, by virtue of section 62 of the Prisons Regulations, may be imposed:

• -the Public Order and Security Act, No. 20 of 1967, empowering the executive to restrict an individual’s association or communication with others, independently of the commission of any offence and subject to penalties involving compulsory labour; and
• -sections 54(2)(c), 55, 56 and 56(a) of the Penal Code, empowering the minister to declare any combination of two or more people an unlawful society and thus render any speech, publication or activity on behalf of, or in support of, such a combination, illegal and punishable with imprisonment (involving an obligation to perform labour).

The Committee requested the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the above provisions are amended or repealed so as to ensure the compatibility of the legislation with the Convention.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that both the Public Order and Security Act and the Penal Code are in conformity with the Convention.

However, the Committee notes the statements made by a certain number of governments in the 2016 report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (report to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC)), recommending the amendment of the Public Order Management Act of 2013, in order to ensure full respect of freedom of association and peaceful demonstration (A/HRC/34/10, paragraphs 115.101, 117.8, 117.18 and 117.52). Moreover, the Committee notes that, according to the Report of the HRC of 2017, a certain number of stakeholders regretted that Uganda failed to fully implement its commitments from the first Universal Periodic Review regarding freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. They also expressed concern over physical assaults on journalists and the harassment of political activists as well as human rights defenders, and urged for reforms to the Penal Code, the Press and Journalists Act and the Public Order Management Act of 2013 (A/HRC/34/2, paragraphs 688, 692, 693 and 694).

The Committee further notes with concern that penalties of imprisonment (involving compulsory prison labour) may be imposed under the following provisions of the Public Order Management Act, 2013: section 5(8) (disobedience of statutory duty in case of organizing a public meeting without any reasonable excuse); and section 8(4) (disobedience of lawful orders during public meetings).

In this regard, the Committee is bound to recall that Article 1(a) of the Convention prohibits all recourse to sanctions involving an obligation to perform labour, as a means of political coercion or as a punishment for holding or expressing political views, or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system. It also points out that the protection conferred by the Convention is not limited to activities expressing or manifesting opinions diverging from established principles; even if certain activities aim to bring about fundamental changes in state institutions, such activities are covered by the Convention, as long as they do not resort to, or call for, violent means to these ends. In light of the above considerations, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the abovementioned provisions of the Public Order and Security Act, No. 20 of 1967, the Penal Code, and the Public Order Management Act of 2013 are amended or repealed so as to ensure that no prison sentence entailing compulsory labour can be imposed on persons who, without using or advocating violence, express certain political views or opposition to the established political, social or economic system. It requests the Government to provide information on measures taken in this regard.

Article 1(d). Penal sanctions involving compulsory labour as a punishment for having participated in strikes. The Committee previously noted that the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act, 2006, contains provisions concerning the resolution and settlement of labour disputes which could lead to the imposition of compulsory arbitration procedures, thus making strikes or other industrial action unlawful. Strikes may be declared unlawful, for example, where the minister or the labour officer refers a dispute to the Industrial Court (section 28(4)) or where the Industrial Court makes an award which has come into force (section 29(1)). The organization of strikes in these circumstances is punishable with imprisonment (involving compulsory prison labour) pursuant to sections 28(6), 29(2) and (3) of the Act, and the Committee accordingly reminded the Government that such penalties were not in conformity with the Convention. In addition, the Committee noted that, under section 34(5) of the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act, 2006, the minister may refer disputes in essential services to the Industrial Court, thus making illegal any collective withdrawal of labour in such services, with violation of this prohibition being punishable with imprisonment (involving an obligation to perform labour) (section 33(1) and (2) of the Act). The Committee requested the Government to take the necessary measures to bring the abovementioned provisions of the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act, 2006 into conformity with the Convention.

The Committee notes the absence of information on this point in the Government’s report. The Committee therefore once again requests the Government to take the necessary measures to bring the abovementioned provisions of the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act, 2006, into conformity with the Convention, either by removing the penalties of imprisonment involving compulsory labour, or restricting their scope to essential services in the strict sense of the term (namely those services, the interruption of which would endanger the life, personal safety or health of the whole or part of the population), or to situations of acute national crisis. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on measures taken in this regard.