By Max Patrick Ocaido
President Yoweri Museveni has rejected in its entirety the Minimum Wages Bill, 2015 that was passed by parliament in February this year.
The Bill sought to set up a minimum wage determination mechanism across different sectors of the economy.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga on Tuesday told Parliament that the President has declined to assent to the Bill on grounds that “the current law is sufficient for the sector.”
According to Kadaga, President Museveni says that there are no gaps in the Minimum Wages Advisory Board and the Wages Council Act that the Bill (Minimum Wages Bill) seeks to cure. As a result, Museveni has rejected the Bill in its totality. She added that Parliament will debate the President’s decision at a later stage.
The Minimum Wages Bill, 2015 presented by Workers MP Arinaitwe Rwakajara as a Private Member’s Bill was read for the first time on December 24, 2015 before it was referred to the Committee on Gender, labour and Social Development. The Bill also sought to address the gaps in the current Minimum Wage Advisory Board Act by providing for an employee-employer led minimum wages determination, sectoral based minimum wage determination and application. Uganda currently has no minimum wage although attempts have been made in the past to establish one without much success.
According to the Bill, the major defect in the current minimum wage determination mechanism as provided for under Minimum Wages Advisory Board Act doesn’t provide for an employee-employer led minimum wage determination and application and is in dire need of amendment since it has been in existence since 1957.
Meanwhile, Museveni has for the second time refused to assent to the controversial Genetic Engineering Regulatory Bill 2018, formerly called the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill, 2012. In December 2017, Museveni declined to assent to the GMO Bill raising 12 issues that required improvement before he can sign it.
Whereas Parliament reconsidered the Bill after incorporating Museveni's concerns, the President has again refused to assent to the Bill. According to Kadaga, Museveni has suggested new proposals on the bill that Parliament should reconsider before he signs it. State minister for Trade, Michael Werikhe said that the Bill will be retabled for the third time.
Article 91(5) of the Constitution states that, "Where the President returns the same bill twice under clause(3)(b) of this article and the bill is passed for the third time, with the support of at least two-thirds of all members of Parliament, the Speaker shall cause a copy of the bill to be laid before Parliament, and the bill shall become law without the assent of the President."
