By Arthur
In a significant milestone for Carrefour workers in Uganda, the Uganda Hotels, Food, Tourism, Supermarkets, and Allied Workers Union (HTS Union), a UNI Global Union commerce affiliate, has successfully negotiated its first collective agreement with Majid Al Futtaim Group, the franchisee responsible for Carrefour operations in Uganda. Effective until 2025, this groundbreaking agreement marks a crucial step forward in securing essential benefits and improved working conditions for Carrefour employees.
Under the terms of the collective agreement, Carrefour workers in Uganda will now have the opportunity to benefit from annual salary reviews and improved working conditions. Notably, employees will receive a minimum of $53 when taking their legally mandated 21 days of annual leave. Additionally, the agreement entitles workers to 30 days of paid sick leave, ensuring financial security during health-related absences.
Job security is a significant aspect of the agreement. It includes job security provisions, clearly defined disciplinary misconducts, breaches, offences, and corresponding disciplinary procedures and actions. Furthermore, a disciplinary committee will be established, featuring union representation, to safeguard workers’ rights and ensure fair treatment in all disciplinary matters.
A critical focus of the agreement is eliminating gender-based violence and sexual harassment in the workplace. Through collaborative efforts, awareness-raising initiatives, and establishing robust mechanisms at the store level, management and the union are committed to creating a safe and respectful working environment. The agreement mandates the introduction of a comprehensive sexual harassment and HIV/AIDS policy, actively implemented at the store level by occupational health and safety committees.
Female employees will benefit from an additional 30 days of paid maternity leave, extendable upon a doctor’s recommendation, in addition to the 60 days of paid maternity leave mandated by law. Shifts will be designed in their favor further to support pregnant and breastfeeding employees, and breastfeeding rooms will be made available where feasible.
The agreement places paramount importance on the health and safety of workers. Comprehensive safety measures will be provided, including suitable uniforms, protective gear, and insurance coverage for work accidents. Furthermore, a safety and health committee will be established at all Carrefour stores, ensuring representation from store management and union members.
This significant achievement follows an extensive organizing campaign by the HTS Union, resulting in recognition at Carrefour Uganda in 2021. This organizing drive, accelerated by an international solidarity project led by UNI Commerce and supported by the FNV Union of the Netherlands, led to the recruitment of hundreds of union members.
UNI Africa’s Regional Secretary, Keith Jacobs, commended the dedication of HTS Union, stating, “We are proud of the dedicated work of HTS Union that secured the first collective agreement for Carrefour workers in Uganda. Our Ugandan comrades have blazed the trail for further victories across Africa, including Kenya and Ivory Coast, where we are working with our affiliates to win inaugural contracts for Carrefour workers.”
Mauku R. Moses, the General Secretary of the HTS Union, expressed gratitude to UNI and FNV for their support, emphasizing that the collective agreement provides job security and fosters better working conditions and a safer workplace for Carrefour workers in Uganda.
With Carrefour’s expansion to seven stores and the organization of 300 workers in Uganda since its launch in 2019, this collective agreement is a historic achievement. It sets a promising precedent for Carrefour workers across the African continent and marks the second collective agreement for Carrefour workers in Africa, following Tunisia, reflecting a growing commitment to workers’ rights and welfare in the region.
