Employers asked to encourage workers join Unions

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The Secretary General of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU), Richard Bigirwa, has tasked managers in different institutions to allow the workers to join the unions, which he said would expeditiously solve disputes. 

Birigwa advised the Union leaders to change the approach of dealing with employers who tend to shy away from Union leaders. He said the old system of communicating through changing letters cannot be relied on alone any more to get results. We need to apply other tactics to bring on board some employers.

Birigwa said if workers' issues are to be expedited to get justice, the approach to handling employers should change.

He remarked this during the launch 25-year master plan of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU) and the 5-year strategic plan at Kajjansi subcounty in Wakiso district on November 2, 2025.

The Secretary General of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU), Richard Bigirwa (second from left), talks to the members Agalgament Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU) after the annual general meeting in Kajjansi subcounty in Wakiso district, November 2, 2025. (Photo by Wilfred Sanya)

“Recently, I was involved in a community meeting with an employer in Wakiso who had denied me access to his premises. I organised a meeting near his premises and he was forced to come out to join us,” he revealed.

He thanked ATGWU for training good leaders who sometimes end up in leadership positions and for improving workers' welfare. 

He said after the discussions, they became friends with the employer and are already in the process of signing the union agreement.

Moses Musiitwa, Programme Officer (ATGWU), said the Union's vision has changed for the next 25 years, we strive to be the most effective self-reliant labour union in Africa and beyond.

He advised that the future of workers needs to build resilience against the economic situation and which comes time after time.

“We need to prepare members for automation, this is a very serious way where you have ten people staying with one on zero and technology is taking shape, plus the aspect of the green pasture jobs, particularly in Uganda, where they have more female than male", he said.

 He said, “We are going to look at membership, service excellence, communication and information, becoming an efficient organisation, strong partnerships, networking, creating a decent agenda and creating an environmentally sensitive organisation”.

He added,” In every 5 years, we want growth of 30 percent and would have regional organising hubs in all Cities in the country. We should have a collaborating centre.  And would like to see the informal sector unionisation". 

Usher Owere, the former chairman ATGWU, asked the Union to tap into the leaders who have left but are still used to being welcomed to serve and build the labour movement.