By John V Sserwaniko
International Construction Engineering firm CIVICON has been sued for failing to pay workers. As such the company bosses must file their defense in the Ntinda-based Industrial Court against a claim filed by their Chief site supervisor Mr Julius Peter Oloya. Mulengera news website spoke to Civicon Uganda Ltd Administration Officer Richard Okot, who is also responsible for staff welfare, and he confirmed being aware of the claim but refused to discuss the matter. “We are aware of all that and we aren’t worried because we have our strong defense and we shall show court that his claim is defective,” is all Okot said. Registered on 5th February 2018, the case is filed as Labor Dispute No. 506 of 2018 and Oloya is represented by renowned worker’s rights NGO Platform for Labour Action based on Plot 14 Martyrs Lane in Ntinda.
THE DETAILS
The facts of the case are as follows: In 2015, Oloya got a job as a construction materials mixer and supervisor based at Civicon Uganda head offices in Bugolobi Mulwana Road. And by the time this current dispute arose, he had worked for Civicon for 17 months earning a net salary of Shs2.1m per month. Towards the end of 2015, the UN that happens to be their regular client, gave Civicon Uganda a new job in DR Congo to construct several fuelling stations to service the various airfields attacked to the UN Mission in the vast DRC. Oloya, who was considered a high performance employee, was assigned the job of site in charge in the DRC where he reported for work on 22nd October 2015. In January 2016, the Civicon top management committed to motivate Oloya even further by offering him a daily allowance of USD25 for every day he was out of Uganda serving in DRC. This comes to around Shs100,000/ in Ugandan money per day. As site in charge in DRC, Oloya was inter-alia responsible for the welfare of all the other workers.
The headquarters in Kampala had to send him money to provide for the material needs of the men he was supervising. As if becoming bankrupt, time came when Civicon skipped months without sending this upkeep money. Specifically these were the months of September, October, November & December 2016. On contacting headquarters, Oloya was asked by Project Manager Gaddafi Odhiambo to improvise on grounds that he would be fully reimbursed once back in Kampala. And indeed fearing to let down the UN and hurt the reputation of his employer (Civicon) in case the guys downed tools and went on strike, the very considerate Oloya used his own money on the understanding the headquarters would, upon verification, reimburse him. However, the Company reneged on its promise and refused to reimburse Oloya. He was only later on paid a mere USD200! when he threatened legal action against the company. In his matter dully filed in the Industrial Court, Oloya is now demanding for USD2,700 in missed allowances, USD1,821 in special damages & another USD5,000 in general damages. To comment on this & other Mulengera news stories, reach us on 0703164755!
