Organisation Profile

Platform for Labour Action (PLA) is recognized as a leading civil society actor in the promotion and protection of labour rights and the campaign for social protection and human rights in Uganda both by Government and civil society. PLA works in partnership with national and international organisations and stakeholders’, local communities, local leaders, local governments, and community based organisations.

PLA is governed by a nine-member, multi-disciplinary Board of Directors with reputable records in human/children rights and labour issues.

PLA performs its programs, operations and activities through its headquarters and secretariat in Kampala and field offices in Lira, Iganga and Wakiso districts.

Vision Statement
A society where democratic values and social justice are respected and observed in the world of work

Mission Statement
Promoting and protecting the rights of the vulnerable and marginalized workers through empowerment of communities and individuals in Uganda.

Core Values
1.    Professionalism
2.    Transparency and accountability
3.    Commitment
4.    Teamwork
5.    Respect for human rights, justice
6.    Zero tolerance of corruption

Target Group
Vulnerable, marginalized and undocumented workers in the informal sector, who include;
•    Children in exploitative forms of work
•    Children at risk of exploitation.
•    Informal sector workers infected and affected by HIV-AIDS.
•    Women
•    Youth
•    Low income earners (below 150,000 Uganda Shillings per month).

Thematic Areas

•    Human rights of the target groups and democracy in the communities
•    Exploitation of children, youth and women.
•    HIV-AIDS in the workplace
•    Social Security / social protection
•    Livelihood conditions and support.
•    Occupational safety and health.

Our activities include;

1.    The provision of free legal aid services to vulnerable and marginalised workers. Over the past three years we have proffered legal aid services to nearly 30,000 vulnerable workers (women, youth and children) have benefited from our legal aid services through court representation and alternative dispute resolution. This has been both directly at main office in Kampala and field officer in Lira; and through mobile outreach clinics in Kampala, Wakiso, Iganga, Lira, Dokolo, and Amolatar districts. Their cases have ranged from non payment of wages, sexual and gender based violence and discrimination at the work place, children at risk of exploitation and those engaged in child labour.

2.    Promoting civic and political participation of women and youth in the informal sector where over 10,000 women and youth in the informal sector in Lango sub region have been educated on their human rights, democracy, and leadership through PLA’s informal sector workers peer education programmes.

3.    Prevention and protection of children from exploitation and children at risk of exploitation / stop child exploitation programme. Under this programme over 15,900 direct beneficiaries were reached in 2010 of whom; 30% were children. Over 1,000 children have been supported directly to realise their right to education as an alternative to child labour through provision of tuition and basic needs. Eight thousand children, teachers, and local law enforcement reached with awareness messages on stopping child exploitation and sending children to school campaign undertaken in 2010 in partnership with local government.

4.    PLA’s over seven years advocacy campaign for reforms in the social security sector through radio programs, policy briefs and public dialogues, engagements with policy makers yielded results with the passing of the Uganda Retirement Benefits Authority Act 2011 which seeks to put in place a sector regulator and ensure transparency and account ability in the sector; and the Liberalisation of the Retirement Benefits Sector Bill which seeks to break the monopoly of single players in the social security and pension sectors.

5.    PLA has also brought into debate the need to promote and protect the human rights of domestic workers in Uganda through proving a forum for domestic workers to meet with policy makers and present their problems.

6.    PLA has conducted extensive research that informs most of our project interventions, we have produced publications such as Stop Child Exploitation, Rapid Assessment on Child Domestic Work, Adult Domestic Workers in Uganda-an analysis of human rights and social injustice, Social Security Systems in Uganda and Risks and Vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS in the informal sector in Uganda; as a result we have built a plethora of reference material on our target population to inform policy and actions by civil society.