Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Protection of Wages Convention, 1949 (No. 95) - Uganda (Ratification: 1963)

Article 12 of the Convention. Payment of wages at regular intervals. The Committee notes with interest that the Employment Act, 2006, which replaced the Employment Decree, 1975, gives full effect to the provisions of the Convention concerning the attachment of wages (Article 10) and the place and time of payment (Article 13) that had been the subject of previous outstanding comments by the Committee. It also notes that the Employment Act contains express provisions ensuring the application of other requirements of the Convention, including the prohibition of payment of wages in the form of alcohol or noxious drugs (Article 4), the use of works stores free from any coercion (Article 7), the prompt settlement of all outstanding payments upon the termination of the employment contract (Article 12) and the issue of wage statements at the time of each payment (Article 14). The Committee recalls, however, its previous comments in which it requested the Government to provide detailed information on the nature and extent of the difficulties encountered with regard to the regular payment of wages, especially in view of the Government’s indications that 95 per cent of the cases heard by labour courts concern problems of wage arrears. In its last report, the Government has not elaborated on this point except for indicating that labour inspection services are challenged by limited resources and lack of staffing and training. The Committee understands that problems of accumulated wage arrears in the public sector persist, in particular in education and health care. The Committee therefore asks once more the Government to make an effort to collect and transmit up-to-date information concerning the situation of non payment or delayed payment of wages both in the public and the private sectors, including the total amount of wages due, the number of workers affected, the number and type of enterprises concerned, the average delay in the payment of wages, any agreed timetable for the settlement of outstanding payments, as well as any other measures taken or envisaged to put an end to those practices, including through strengthened supervision and imposition of appropriate penalties.