From Education to Empowerment: How McLeod Russel Uganda Limited is Supporting the Fight Against Child Labour in the Tea Industry

McLeod Russel Uganda Limited (MRUL) is a tea growing, manufacturing, and exporting established in Uganda. The company owns six tea estates in the country: Bugambe and Kisaru Tea Estates in Kikuube District, Muzizi Tea Estate in Kagadi District, Mwenge Tea Estate in Kyenjojo District, Kiko Tea Estate in Kabarole District, Ankole Tea Estate in Bushenyi District, and a central management office in Mwenge Kyenjojo District, covering a total of 7170.70 hectares of land. With the help of small growers, the company produces an average of 11,000,000 kgs and 9,000,000 kgs of made tea per year.

Article | 04 May 2023
With the support of the ACCEL Africa project, MRUL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE) to formalize and strengthen their cooperation on the elimination of child labour in the tea industry through the promotion of social dialogue, awareness raising and advocacy, capacity building, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and public-private partnership (PPP), with the aim to identify better solutions and responses to the challenges and threats that are presently fuelling child labour.

In this framework, in December 2022, MRUL participated in a training course on Child Labour and Due Diligence organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with Improvingworklife and the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE). The training was based on the developed Child Labour Due Diligence Training Package for the Tea and Coffee Supply Chains in Uganda, and was conducted through 4 online dynamic and interactive sessions and 3 Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions. They offered 36 participants from the private sector the opportunity to reflect on and learn how to implement in practice the different steps in a child labour due diligence process in order to identify, prevent, manage and account for the negative impact occurring in their operations and value chains.

During the training we learned about the entire company supply chain, realizing that child labour can occur at any stage of the supply chain, from out growers, contractors, suppliers, and transporters."

Mr Ronald Byarugaba from MRUL
"During the training we learned about the entire company supply chain, realizing that child labour can occur at any stage of the supply chain, from out growers, contractors, suppliers, and transporters” stated Mr Ronald Byarugaba from MRUL. Members of the company also understood that only through multi-stakeholder and area-based approaches, including the involvement of international communities, governments (local/central), religions, cultures, private sectors, families, workers' organizations, employers' organizations, and civil society organizations, can we eliminate child labour.

The training course enlightened on the difference between child work/light work and child labour, which is a significant distinction. For instance, washing dishes, cleaning the compound, washing clothes, cooking, and other activities could culminate into child labour if they interfere with the rights of the child, such as disrupting the school calendar, working for more than two hours per day or 14 hours per week, depriving the child of the right to play, among others. The training also emphasized the importance of communication in the fight against child labour and how different stakeholders would be reached through specific media for effective communication.

Since the training, the management of MRUL has intensified efforts in the elimination of child labour in their supply chain. In particular, the company works through the existing policies and newly acquired strategies by: i) strengthening awareness and training on child labour related issues for employees, contractors, suppliers, transporters and out-growers; ii) emphasizing the importance of education to workers, out-growers and communities; iii) strengthening participation in stakeholders’ engagements, iv) ensuring the principles of inclusion, equity, decent work and rights at work; v) communicating the company’s policy through different media in order to be more effective; vi) overseeing and assessing the impact of child labour along the value chain at the stage of out-growers, suppliers, contractors, transporters and other service providers; vii) promoting management engagement to identify and remediate child labour.

MRUL has a zero-tolerance policy for child labour and advocates for it. The company supports seven public primary schools and has established 13 nursery schools on their tea estates. It has also established temporary mobile breastfeeding centres and supports some employees with tuition fees and transportation for their children. MRUL sensitizes and trains workers, out-growers, and the community on child labour issues. The company also offers free medical care to employees and their dependents under 18, and every tea estate has a fully supported health canter. In addition, MRUL gives back to the community through CSR activities such as water provision, road maintenance, field studies, and industrial training.

MRUL's efforts to eliminate child labour demonstrate the company’s commitment to not only complying with the law but also their ethical values. By providing education, healthcare, and other support, the company ensures that the children of their employees and community members have a safe and healthy childhood. Moreover, eliminating child labour improves productivity and allows parents to focus on their work, leading to better business opportunities and a positive reputation for the company and the sector as a whole.

MRUL's practices serve as an inspiration for other companies to prioritize the well-being of children and contribute to a brighter future for all.