Benefits of Africapay to the Federation of Uganda Employers
By Douglas Opio, FUE, Africapay.org/Uganda manager
Ugandan employers have been reaping benefits from Africapay. The website was established in 2011 through a partnership between Federation of Uganda Employers and Wage Indicator Foundation. Gone are the days when employers had to call a legal expert to get basic information about the labour laws in Uganda. Employers can now find answers to their questions 24 hours a day and 7 days a week due to availability of high quality information online in a simplified manner.
FAQ’s Online Are a Great Help
Information on critical issues such as labour laws, salary and career are just a click away. It is a short cut for employers to get information without having to incur additional costs. Employers do not have to ask legal experts these simple questions , they can do this at their own convenience. This creates time for the legal team at the Federation of Uganda Employers to concentrate on more serious issues. The legal and employee relations department has become more efficient in the process due to reduction in the number of simply questions, for example: What are the public holidays in Uganda? How many days are provided for maternity leave by law? How many hours are workers legally allowed to work per day and per week? Africapay has also facilitated membership recruitment and retention, generated consultancy opportunities for the Federation and increased stakeholder engagement.
Benefits for SME’s
The benefits of Africapay also extend beyond the membership of the Federation of Uganda Employers, to thousands of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) who require information about the labour laws. They are unable to pay for membership or the legal fees that are associated with having access to such information. It is also possible for such employers to seek online legal advice without any costs. This has promoted the visibility of the Federation of Uganda Employers among MSMEs who now have easy access to information on the labour laws in Uganda.
It is clear that having CBAs online is an extremely good initiative that promotes greater transparency and accountability in the labour market. This allows for fair competition among employers. It also indirectly facilitates sharing of best practices among employers. Africapay has increased the visibility both locally and internationally. This has increased the level of contact between the Federation and employers. However, CBAs are not all online because some employers still prefer to keep them confidential. Perhaps they are not willing to give out too much to their competitors in terms of salary structure and other benefits. This perhaps explains why sectoral CBAs are all available online.
