The Key achievements shared include:

• Legal Aid & Justice Access: 386 migrant workers received legal support, with 70% of exploitation cases resolved.
• Youth Engagement: 7,475 youth educated across 22 institutions on migration risks and reporting mechanisms.
• Female Migrant Preparedness: 2,484 women trained on contracts, rights, and emergency contacts before departure.
• Law Enforcement Training: 102 officers trained, leading to disrupted trafficking networks and improved border vigilance.
• Reintegration Support: 189 returnees supported with skills and entrepreneurship training, with 76% engaged in agribusiness.

PLA’s multi-stakeholder approach, including collaboration with government bodies, and international organizations, has strengthened national coordination and policy advocacy. Continued investment in scaling these interventions is essential to sustain impact and ensure migration becomes a pathway to opportunity, not vulnerability.

The roundtable and Summit Recommendations included the following;

1. Integrate Migration into Cross-Sectoral Development Planning

Recognize and institutionalize the interconnectedness of migration with key development sectors such as health, education, and the environment. Migration policies and programs should be designed to:

• Ensure access to essential health services for migrants.
• Promote educational opportunities for migrant families and returnees.
• Address environmental factors that drive or affect migration patterns.
• Promote access to justice and protection of human rights.

2. Support Movement Building for Inclusive Labour Migration

Promote and invest in movement building initiatives led by changemakers such as Ashoka Fellows and other grassroots innovators working on human rights and access to justice. These movements should:

• Foster collaborative models that scale impact across borders drawing on the PLA shared model and adopt technology to ensure timely legal support. Citizen Gavel PODUS platform is a good mechanism to learn from as part of scaling.
• Advocate for safe, inclusive, and dignified labour migration.
• Facilitate job creation in-country to reduce forced or unsafe migration.
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3. Develop and Institutionalize Guidelines for Safe and Inclusive Migration

Empower civil society movements, Ashoka fellows collaboration and diaspora-led initiatives to co-create and shape migration guidelines that:

• Uphold international labour standards and human rights.
• Promote gender-responsive and youth-inclusive migration frameworks.
• Ensure transparency, accountability, and community participation in migration governance.

Our gratitude to the development partners who have enabled us make this contribution over the years namely Anonymous, Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) as it then was and IOM. Our appreciation to Ashoka for creating the space to enable us share our work with fellows across the African continent on this pertinent issue.

For more detailed information, please download the full impact brief.

In 2024, PLA continued its mission to promote and protect the rights of vulnerable and marginalized workers in Uganda. The organization focused on legal aid, child protection, civic empowerment, and business compliance, while expanding partnerships and community-based interventions.

2. Key Achievements

Legal Aid and Human Rights

• 457 workers (39% female) accessed legal aid services across Kampala, Lira, and Iganga.
• UGX 74 million recovered in unpaid wages and benefits.
• Notable success stories include reinstatements and compensation for unfair dismissal.

Child Protection and Education

• 67 children withdrawn from child labour and reintegrated into school.
• 400,647 people reached through awareness campaigns via radio, TV, and community dialogues.
• Districts of Iganga, Bugiri, and Kaliro developed action plans to eliminate child labour.

Movement Building and Civic Engagement

• 50 casual workers trained as workplace rights advocates in steel companies.
• These advocates reached 216 fellow workers and engaged district leaders to address workplace violations.

Community and District Structures

• 315 community and business volunteers trained to monitor and report child labour.
• 248 duty bearers (LCs, police, labour officers) trained on child protection laws and practices.
• 31 CBO leaders trained in project and financial management.

Business and Human Rights Compliance

• Launched Child Rights Principles and Business Guidelines for sugar and rice supply chains.
• 8 workplace inspections conducted; 21 children rescued from exploitative labour in Iganga.

3. Institutional Development and Partnerships

• Participated in national platforms on child labour, trafficking, and migration.
• Secured UGX 122.6 million in short-term funding from GAATW and other partners.
• Engaged university students as interns and volunteers to boost capacity.

4. Challenges

• Limited institutional funding constrained PLA’s ability to respond to emerging labour issues.

5. Future Plans

• Develop a new 5-year Strategic Plan (2025–2030).
• Expand operations to Albertine, Rwenzori, and Karamoja regions.
• Advocate for reforms in domestic work laws and employment policy.
• Strengthen private sector engagement for sustainability and compliance.

6. Conclusion;

In 2024, PLA demonstrated unwavering commitment to advancing the rights and welfare of Uganda’s most vulnerable and marginalized workers. Through strategic legal aid, grassroots empowerment, and collaborative partnerships, the organization made tangible progress in addressing systemic injustices in the world of work.

Despite challenges such as limited institutional funding, PLA remained resilient, securing new partnerships and funding, and laying the groundwork for future expansion and sustainability.

As PLA looks ahead to its 25th anniversary and the development of a new five-year strategic plan (2025–2030), it remains steadfast in its mission to build a just society where economic rights and social justice are upheld for all workers.

For more comprehensive information, please download the full report.

PLA implemented several projects in 2023 aimed at promoting human rights, social protection, and decent work conditions for vulnerable and marginalized workers in Uganda. Key funding came from the European Union, International Labour Organization (ILO), and the German Development Agency.

2. Strategic Objective 1: Promote Human Rights and Accountability

Outcome 1: Increased Access to Remedial Services

• 882 workers (226 female, 666 male) received legal aid including mediation, negotiation, and court representation.
• UGX 145.6 million recovered for 169 workers through PLA interventions.
• Legal aid clinics in northern Uganda saw increased client numbers.

Outcome 2: Increased Awareness

• 17,136 individuals sensitized on child labor, workers’ rights, and civic participation.
• 213 children developed and presented a call to action to government stakeholders.
• Government committed to strengthening enforcement and access to education.

Outcome 3: Legal and Policy Frameworks Enhanced

• PLA contributed expert opinion to Uganda’s Employment Amendment Bill.
• Supported the enactment of the Child Protection Ordinance in Iganga District.
• Participated in national policy reviews on child labor.

Outcome 4: Strengthened Platforms

• 222 stakeholders trained on child labor and decent work.
• Women market vendors in Kaliro and Lira empowered to engage in civic processes.
• 99 women trained in transformative leadership and advocacy.

3. Strategic Objective 2: Strengthen Social Protection Initiatives

Education Support

• 370 children (231 girls, 121 boys) from vulnerable households supported with school materials and fees.

Livelihood Skills Training

• 500 market vendors trained in soap making, baking, beading, and Vaseline production.
• 91% reported income increases of at least 20%.

Vocational Training

• 344 former child laborers gained employment in trades like tailoring, catering, plumbing, and hairdressing.
• Success stories include Sharon (tailor) and Shafic (hairdresser), both now earning sustainable incomes and mentoring others.

4. Advocacy and Partnerships

• PLA’s advocacy led to increased resource allocation for probation and labor offices.
• Partnered with Lira City Authorities to train 84 elected market leaders on gender-sensitive governance.

5. Key achievements included:

• Legal support and financial recovery for exploited workers.
• Enhanced awareness and enforcement of child labor laws.
• Influential contributions to national policy reforms.
• Empowerment of women market vendors in civic leadership.
• Vocational training and employment for former child laborers.
• Strengthened social protection through education and livelihood support.

6. Conclusion:

In 2023, PLA made significant strides in advancing the rights and welfare of vulnerable and marginalized workers across Uganda. Through strategic partnerships, targeted legal aid, policy advocacy, and community empowerment initiatives, the organization impacted thousands of lives especially women, children, and informal sector workers.

PLA’s work continues to be a beacon of hope and transformation, demonstrating the power of community-driven advocacy and strategic collaboration in promoting decent work, social justice, and human dignity.

For more comprehensive information, please download the full report.

Summary Overview:

This celebrates the 25-year journey of Platform for Labour Action (PLA), a Ugandan NGO founded in 2000 by three women lawyers. PLA focuses on empowering vulnerable workers, especially domestic workers, child labourers, and casual labourers through legal aid, vocational training, and advocacy.

Key Highlights:

• Transformational Stories:

  • Shafic, a former child labourer, became a hairdresser and now supports his family.
  • Sharon, once a domestic worker, now runs her own tailoring business.

• Impact Over 25 Years:

  • Over 57,000 individuals supported.
  • UGX 2.98 billion (approx. $800,000) recovered in unpaid wages and claims.
  • 1,700+ people trained in vocational skills.
  • 650 children kept in school through tuition and materials support.

• Strategic Evolution:

  • Started with legal aid, expanded to include vocational and financial training.
  • Advocated for policy reforms including:
    • Reinstating Uganda’s Industrial Court.
    • Pension access amendments.
    • Recognition of domestic workers in the Employment Act.

• Community-Centered Approach:

  • PLA’s work is shaped by the lived experiences of its clients.
  • Created Uganda’s first Domestic Workers Association.
  • Continued outreach during COVID-19 via radio and mobile platforms.

• Vision for the Future:

  • Aspires to become a living institution that redefines justice for the working poor.
  • Emphasizes sustainability, visibility, and community-rooted transformation.

Authored by Wobusobozi Amooti Kangere 

For more comprehensive information, please download the article.

Summary Statement:

The Platform for Labour Action (PLA), representing civil society organizations in Uganda, delivered a powerful statement urging accelerated action to eliminate child labour, aligning with the 2025 deadline of Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. Despite progress in legal reforms and policy development, Uganda still faces high child labour rates, especially in informal sectors like agriculture, domestic work, and mining.

The statement highlights the vulnerability of children in rural, refugee-hosting, and economically stressed areas. PLA calls for:

• Strengthening legal frameworks and enforcement.
• Expanding child-sensitive social protection.
• Investing in education and vocational training.
• Engaging communities and the private sector.
• Empowering households through legal awareness.

“Child labour is not inevitable; it is preventable. It is a choice society makes—and today, we call upon all of us to choose differently.”
— Grace Mukwaya, Executive Director, PLA

The message concludes with a strong appeal to all stakeholders to act decisively and collaboratively to end child labour in Uganda.

For more comprehensive information, please download the full statement.

This memo summarizes the Platform for Labour Action's (PLA) annual report for the year 2022. PLA is a Ugandan non-governmental organization founded in 2000 that promotes and protects the rights of vulnerable and marginalized workers.

Executive Summary:

2022 was a year of resilience for PLA, marked by the loss of a major funding partner (the Democratic Governance Facility) yet maintaining operational stability. PLA successfully implemented various programs, secured new funding, and continued to advocate for workers' rights. Key achievements include providing legal support services, empowering communities through awareness and skills training, and influencing policy changes.

Key Achievements:

• Human Rights and Accountability:
  • 1,178 individuals received legal support services.
  • UGX 337,454,491/= recovered for clients in unpaid wages and compensation.
  • 1,019,083 people reached through awareness campaigns.
  • 203 private sector employers trained on child rights and business principles.
  • 100 women market group leaders trained on transformative leadership.
• Social Protection:
  • 2,867 community members trained in income generation skills.
  • 401 at-risk and former child laborers supported with scholastic materials.
  • 680 former child laborers received vocational skills and apprenticeship training.
  • Political and technical officials of local governments committed to increasing resource allocation to probation and labor offices.
• Research and Knowledge Management:
  • Findings from child labor surveys and rapid assessments were adopted by the National Steering Committee on the Elimination of Child Labor.
  • Various research projects were concluded, providing valuable data on child labor and related issues.
• Institutional Strengthening:
  • PLA secured a new project focused on the civic and political participation of women market vendors.
  • PLA maintained its strategic position at the national level by participating in key working groups and committees.

Challenges:

• Loss of a major funding partner.
• Limited budget affecting outreach capacity.
• Mistrust from some community members due to language and cultural differences.

Financial Standing:

PLA primarily relies on funding proposals to development agencies. In 2022, they successfully secured funding for a new project focused on women market vendors.

Conclusion:

Despite challenges, PLA demonstrated resilience and made significant strides in protecting and promoting the rights of vulnerable workers in Uganda in 2022. The organization remains committed to its vision of a society where social justice and democratic values are respected in the world of work.

For more comprehensive information, please download the full report.

This memo summarizes the 2021 Annual Report of the Platform for Labour Action (PLA), a Ugandan NGO founded in 2000, focused on promoting and protecting the human rights of vulnerable and marginalized workers.

Key Highlights:

• Operating Environment: 2021 was marked by political tensions, human rights violations, internet shutdowns, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted PLA's operations. Despite these challenges, PLA continued its activities and secured four new projects.
• Organizational Overview:
  • PLA's vision is a society where economic rights and social justice are respected in the world of work.
  • Its mission is to promote and protect the rights of vulnerable and marginalized workers through community and individual empowerment.
  • Target populations include children in exploitative work, informal sector workers, women (domestic workers, etc.), and youth/low-income earners.
  • PLA operates in the Central, Eastern, and Northern regions of Uganda.
  • Program portfolios include Human Rights and Accountability, Social Protection, Research and Knowledge Management, and Institutional Development.
• 2021 Achievements:
  • Legal Support: 2,740 individuals accessed legal support services, with a significant portion being male youths. UGX 304,788,310 was recovered for 367 clients.
  • Awareness: 65,292 people were reached with awareness information, and approximately 2 million were reached indirectly through media. Workplace inspections were conducted, and PLA contributed to legal reforms, including the National Social Security Fund Amendment Bill 2021.
  • Capacity Building: 196 local council child protection committee members and 153 local, religious, youth, and cultural leaders were trained. Domestic workers were supported in developing a petition paper.
  • Social Protection: The "Eradication of Child Labour in Uganda" project was launched. 209 community champions were trained in entrepreneurship skills, and 3,220 community members were skilled in liquid soap making and baking. A national stakeholders meeting on labor migration was convened.
  • Institutional Strengthening: Four new projects were secured, and PLA's recommendations were adopted by the UN Human Rights Council. PLA continued to network and coordinate with other organizations.

• New Projects Secured:
  • "Strengthening National Network of Domestic Worker to Promote Decent Work for Domestic Workers in Uganda" (Global Alliance Against Trafficking of Women).
  • "Eradication of Child labour in Uganda" (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation).
  • "Promoting Ethical Recruitment and Safe Migration in Uganda" (International Organization for Migration).
  • "Livelihood and employment support services to Ugandan return migrants" (Food and Agriculture Organization).

• Services Delivered: Free legal aid, capacity building, sensitization and awareness creation, education for vulnerable children, safe and productive labor migration, advocacy, and social protection.

Key Takeaways:

• PLA demonstrated resilience and adaptability in the face of significant challenges in 2021.
• The organization made substantial contributions to legal support, awareness raising, and capacity building for vulnerable populations.
• PLA successfully secured new projects and influenced policy changes at national and international levels.
• The report highlights the importance of PLA's work in addressing labor rights and social justice issues in Uganda.

For more comprehensive information, please download the full report.