Labor External recruitment agencies oppose anti-slavery bill

By Prossy Kisakye

The Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies, an organization that brings together companies registered and licensed to export labor has urged the legal and parliamentary affairs committee to reject the anti-slavery bill as the country already has the necessary laws to regulate external labor.

The association executive director of the association Enid Nambuya while appearing before the committee said the proposed anti-slavery law has aspects that are already in the other acts like the employment act.

She asked parliament to instead make amendments to existing laws to make them more stringent to deal with the crimes.

They also oppose a proposal in the bill that seeks to restrict labor recruitment activities geographically, saying that this is discriminatory as under the constitution everyone has the right to freedom of movement, association and livelihood in whichever district or country they may wish to migrate to.

Written by Noelyn Nassuuna