News

On 1st May 2007 ATGWU successfully organised Labour Day celebrations at Peniel Beach in Entebbe. The Chief Guest was His Worship the Mayor of Entebbe Municipality, Mr Steven Kabuye. The celebrations began at about 10.30 am with a workers' parade at the Muzinga Park opposite Entebbe Municipal Council Hall. The brass band and traffic police led a procession covering a journey of over 3 kilometres.

The procession was flagged off by the Wakiso Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Ms Alice Kaggwa and ended at the venue about an hour later, where the Chief Guest received the ATGWU Flag.

Many ATGWU members and workers from sister Unions and Associations in and around Kampala and Entebbe joined in the parade. The Chief Walker was the ATGWU National Chairman, Bro Owere Usher Wilson.

There were delegations of workers from 9 sister unions and three associations of transport workers that attended the function. The Secretary General of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU) and the five Workers’ Members of Parliament sent representatives with solidarity messages to the function.

Employers' representatives from the various companies were present at the occasion and delivered a joint message of encouragement and solidarity to the workers and their Union.

Holding workplace celebrations is one of the ways the Union intends to use to popularise Labour Day and create more awareness about the Union's activities among the workers. The Union had initially planned to hold the celebrations at the airport but this was not possible as permission for the function to be held at the airport was cancelled a few days to the event. This prompted the Union to hire an alternative venue that is one and a half kilometres from Entebbe International Airport.

The function that was organised by the Union with financial support from a number of companies that recognise the Union provided an opportunity for workers from different organisations to interact freely.

On the eve of the Labour Day, there was a radio talk show on one of the local language FM Radio stations discussing the trade union movement and the organising strategies by ATGWU. On the D-Day, both print and electronic media houses covered the event.

In an interview with the Media during the celebrations, Bro Owere warned against workers' issues being politicised. The interview was broadcast on both the government owned UBC TV and the private WBS TV that evening.

This is the first time that a national Union has organised and hosted Labour Day celebrations in the recent history of Uganda. ATGWU will continue organising such celebrations and taking them to the workers at their workplaces.

ATGWU News, May 2007