Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143) - Uganda (Ratification: 1978)

The Committee notes that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the following matters raised in its previous direct request:

With reference to its previous comments, the Committee noted the information supplied in the Government's previous report to the effect that the revision of labour legislation undertaken by the Labour Legislation Review Committee with the technical assistance of the ILO is in its final stage and that the comments of the Committee have all been considered and included. It therefore trusts that the necessary amendments will be adopted in the near future and will provide:

(a) in accordance with Article 3(b) and Article 6(1) of the Convention, that the recruitment and employment of migrant workers who have immigrated in illegal conditions shall be forbidden, and that such prohibition shall be enforced by appropriate penalties against the organizers of illicit or clandestine movements of migrants and against those who employ such workers;

(b) in conformity with Article 14(a), that migrant workers shall have the free choice of employment, after an initial period of lawful residence not exceeding two years;

(c) in application of the policy of equal treatment and opportunity, as prescribed by Article 10, that the provisions of the new labour legislation shall be applicable to all migrant workers and members of their families lawfully residing in Uganda so as to avoid any restriction such as is provided by the present wording of section 5, subsection 4, of the Employment Decree, 1975, which is contrary to the Convention.

The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of any progress made in the adoption of revised legislation to apply the Convention on these points.