What we do
Key Thematic Focus
Labour rights
Both formal and informal economy workers face several violations of their Labour rights ranging from unfair dismissals/ terminations, precarious working conditions, denial of the right to work, violence and harassment, inequality and discrimination, denial of compensation arising from occupational injuries and illnesses, lack of access to social protection among others. VFL defends and promotes Labour rights and standards in all forms of work through Legal aid and representation, advocacy, campaigns, research, education and strategic litigation among other methods.
Recognition and protection of Informal economy Workers
The informal economy constitutes 85% of Uganda’s Labour force according to the Uganda National Labour Force Survey 2016/2017 conducted by Uganda Bureau of Statistics. It is comprised of informal enterprises, Self-employment in informal enterprises, own account workers and wage employment in informal jobs both in the informal and formal enterprises.
The main defining legal characteristic of workers in the informal economy is their inability to access employment rights in the absence of an exclusive legal relationship of “Employer- employee” yet they face many challenges for instance lack access to social protection, violence and harassment, discrimination, denial of freedom of Association and the right to bargain, denial of property rights and access to public space among others.
VFL therefore defends and promotes the rights and interests of informal economy workers through advocating for their recognition and protection under the law, better legal and policy reforms, legal aid and representation, awareness raising and empowerment on their rights and strategic litigation against unfair and discriminative tendencies.
Protection of Platform workers
The platform/gig economy is growing at a high speed globally. The economy has created new forms of employment where workers use digital platforms to access customers. The owners of the digital platforms consider workers using their apps as independent contractors or business partners yet they decide and regulate their terms and conditions of work. In addition, all the risks in this kind of employment arrangement are borne exclusively by the platform workers and not the app owners. VFL seeks to advocate for the recognition and protection of these workers in the law and further empower them through extension of legal aid services and representation, awareness raising and sensitization on their rights and interests.
Decent work in the Global supply chains
Globalization coupled with neo-liberal economic policies has made companies to change the way they do business. Contract Manufacturing, sub-contracting, Outsourcing, Industrial out – production are on the rise. One of the motivations of these new arrangements is exploitation and avoidance of employer liability. VFL therefore focusses on ensuring that decent work is observed even in the supply chains of various corporate entities.
Climate change and Workers
With the increasing impact of climate change on sustainable development and a call to promote green jobs, workers are key stakeholders in making this a reality. Whereas some workers feel that a transition to greener jobs will lead to many job losses, VFL seeks to reduce this fear by contributing to efforts that promote a just transition to green jobs. In addition, VFL also believes that workers can be used be as agents of environmental conservation. Therefore, we seek to involve workers in the environmental agenda through adequate education and training on the value and benefits of environmental protection and its linkage to sustainable employment and incomes
Trade and Investment Regimes
One of our goals as VFL is to see trade and investment regimes that respect labour rights and value workers’ lives. Many Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have been negotiated and signed but with little or no consideration to the protection of Labour standards. Whereas, some of the FTA’s contain Labour protection clauses, the implementation mechanisms in place are weak and moreover, there is little or no involvement of the Civil Society actors in trade and investment decisions. VFL advocates for fair trade and investment regimes that observe human rights both in their undertakings and supply chains.
Labour Migration and Development
Migration is a global challenges but also an opportunity at the same time in terms of its benefits to development. However, Migrant workers face many challenges ranging from exploitative terms and conditions of service, to violence, harassment, discrimination and sometimes trafficking. It is therefore one of the key focus areas of VFL to ensure safe migration and protection of Migrant workers both in Uganda and abroad.
Elimination of Child Labour
Child Labour remains one of the major hinderances to sustainable development as it has a negative bearing on human capital development. Children involved in Child Labour are denied a right to education and access to gainful jobs on the Labour market and are further exposed to many dangers like child trafficking, commercial sex, and exploitation among others.
Gender and Employment
VFL takes cognizant of the various inequalities that occur in employment based on gender especially against women. Women workers face many inequalities ranging from discrimination in accessing jobs, lower wages, sexual harassment and violence among other challenges. We therefore, defend and promote gender equality at the workplace through advocacy, legal aid and representation to the victims, women empowerment programs, strategic litigation among other methods.
How we do it
Our Approach
We implement our objectives through taking a holistic approach to workers' issues
Legal aid and representation
Legal aid is the pillar of the justice system and contributes to accessible justice and rule of law especially to the vulnerable groups. At VFL, we provide legal aid and representation to vulnerable workers both in the formal and informal economy including communities affected by environmental degradation.
Advocacy and Campaigns
Our advocacy programs and campaigns give workers a voice and bring to light issues affecting them in addition to making Employers a accountable and strategically framing their plight to the policy and decision makers.
Strategic Corporate research
With the new strategies of doing business and the increasing growth of value supply chains, emergence of new forms of employment and the changing face of the work place, VFL embraces strategic corporate research to facilitate well informed decisions, policy debates/ dialogues, campaigns and advocacy and further to build on knowledge sharing in the world of work.
Worker empowerment and capacity building
At VFL, we believe workers who are knowledgeable about their rights and interests can stand up against any form of exploitation. We therefore build the capacity of workers through awareness raising, education and training.
Strategic litigation
Strategic litigation is one of the effective legal tools of challenging unfair and out-dated policies, laws and practices. VFL uses this tool to challenge unfair work place practices, laws and policies in favour of workers.
Policy briefs and dialogue
Through our research department, VFL writes position papers and policy briefs to inform dialogue and reforms on issues affecting workers.
Partnerships and Coalition Building
At VFL, we believe that for the voice of workers to be heard, we need to work with other like-minded partners for instance Trade Unions and other civil society organizations in order to build collective power towards the advancement of worker’s rights. We therefore embrace and build partnerships and coalitions as part of our approach.
Community dialogues and Empowernment
VFL believes in strategic framing of workers’ issues to the community in order to mobilize their support towards the protection of workers’ rights and interests. Community dialogues play a vital role in changing the attitude of the community towards workers and thus where the communities rally behind workers, societal power is built to influence certain practices, policies and laws in favour of workers.
Economic empowerment and Livelihood support services
In order to improve on the economic well- being of workers, VFL trains workers especially those in the informal sector on viable income generating activities and further mobilizes funds to support start-ups for vulnerable workers, the unemployed youths including vocational training for former child Labourers.
Mentorship programmes
The knowledge and understanding on workers’ rights and interests should begin from schools and universities so that by the time, graduates enter the Labour market; they are already knowledgeable about their rights and interests. In light of this therefore, VFL conducts awareness and sensitization of workers’ rights in schools and universities as part of its empowerment and mentorship programme.
Environmental Conservation
In an effort to protect the environment, VFL mobilizes and sensitizes workers about good workplace practices that conserve the environment