Do I have to teach you not to over-use the UPPERCASE in your postings?
y
>From: "emmanuel musaazi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: ugnet_: Re: AGOA girls sleep at Parliament
>Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 19:09:27 -0500
>
>Opoka Okumu, throws the word slavery around, stupidly, as if it is a
>complement. You should also know that Uganda and Ugandans are
>benefiting and have benefited from similar investment programs (and
>they are numerous), specifically targated for developing countries,
>such as India, Kenya, South Korea, China, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria,
>Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe etc. So Mr. Opoka as you can see
>"SLAVERY" exists in the WHOLE THIRD WORLD (WELCOME TO THE REAL
>WORLD).
>
>For your information the use of cheap labour by developing countries
>to produce goods and services is not just starting in Uganda infact
>this same philosophy has been the foundation and/or spring board for
>emerging economic powers such as China, Taiwan, Korea, Brazil,
>India, Pakistan etc. If you are suggesting that Uganda should reject
>all such opportunities because it is "slavery" then you are
>stupidier than the message in your postings. I just pray that it is
>only us Ugandans that are exposed to the foolishness you are posting
>(at least we are family and can bare the shame) otherwise you are
>disgracing all Ugandans....I MEAN.., YOU ARE COMPLETELY IGNORANT OF
>WORLD ECONOMIC TRENDS, A COUNTRY LIKE UGANDA DOES NOT HAVE THE
>LUXURY OF ARROGANTLY DICTATING TO INVESTORS, THAT ALL HER WORKERS
>SHOULD BE PAID US$100PERDAY, WHEN COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA ARE LINING
>UP(AND LOBBYING HARD) TO DO THE SAME JOBS THESE "AGOA GIRLS" HAD FOR
>MUCH LESS. REMEMBER THAT THESE JOBS WERE ALREADY TAKEN UP BY OTHER
>COUNTRIES AND IT WAS AS A RESULT OF DIPLOMACY AND PRESSURE FROM
>THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES (IN WHICH PRESIDENT MUSEVENI PLAYED A PIVOTAL
>ROLE) THAT CONCESSIONS WERE MADE TO ALLOW SOME OF THESE JOBS TO COME
>TO AFRICA, THROUGH AGOA. SO IT IS NOT AS IF THE JOBS CAME TO UGANDA
>BECAUSE UGANDA IS SO SPECIAL AND THE JOBS CAN'T BE DONE ANYWHERE
>ELSE.
>
>President Museven has no blame whatsoever in this. The blame falls
>squarely on the so called "Agoa girls", had they done what they did,
>in developed countries such as Britain, US, or Canada, many (if not
>all of them) would be in prison today. The Ugandan authorities have
>been TOO LINIENT WITH THEM AND YOU ON THIS MEDIUM WHO LIVE IN
>DEVELOPED COUNTRIES KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. PUBLIC DISORDER,
>THREATENING ARSON AND RESISTING ARREST ETC...COME ON.
>
>No body is saying that the "Agoa girls" had no right to ask for
>improvements in their conditions of service the issue here is the
>way they did it. There are procedures for negotiating with
>employers, Mr. Opoka for your information Uganda also has labour
>laws and the Agoa girls should have gone about this the proper way.
>Even if they had finally decided to strike to show their
>dissatisfaction, they ought to still have gone about the right way.
>
>Finaly the reason why America and other industrialized countries
>out-source labour, in the first place, is because it is CHEAP
>otherwise they wouldn't bother. SO THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING
>NICE AND KIND TO ANYBODY, IT HAS TO DO WITH ECONOMICS AND ANYTHING
>THAT HAS TO DO WITH MONEY....TRUST ME IT IS ALWAYS CUT THROAT.
>BOTTOM LINE, THIRD WORLD NEEDS THE "JOBS AND THE LITTLE MONEY",
>AMERICA NEEDS THE "CHEAP LABOUR IN ORDER TO MAKE BIG MONEY" (DON'T
>FORGET THAT AMERICANS WANT THE JOBS TOO BUT THEY ARE TOO EXPENSIVE)
>SO ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BARGAINING TABLE, TRADEOFFS HAVE TO BE
>MADE, BUT THERE IS A SAYING THAT "HE WHO PAYS THE PIPER DICTATES THE
>TUNE" MR. OPOKA YOU FIGURE THAT OUT (I HOPE YOU CAN).
>
>
>>From: "Chris Opoka-Okumu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>To: "Clement Okurut" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
>><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>CC: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>Subject: ugnet_: Re: AGOA girls sleep at Parliament
>>Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 08:44:32 -0400
>>
>>Jack & Okurut,
>>
>>The AGOA thing is proving as half baked and not well thought as
>>the UPE, as half baked and not well thought out as the bankrupt the
>>barter trade ideas . The so called "modernizing and transforming"
>>President is modernizing slavery and transforming the art of
>>prostration before the West. Notice how mere AGOA managers have
>>dismissed the Ministers concerned and can only deal with the
>>President. Notice how the police is being abused and used as
>>attack dogs to intimidate Uganda citizens in purely civil matters
>>and to shelter private foreign investors from legal labour action.
>>
>>COO .
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Clement Okurut
>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] ;
>>[EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 12:52 AM
>> Subject: Re: AGOA girls sleep at Parliament
>>
>>
>> Jack:
>>
>> Under normal circmstances, the North American markets are
>>sensitive to abuse of labourers. The blue eyed (favorite son of the
>>wazungu) might escape the wrath of the consumers in the short-term,
>>but their sins might catch up with them in the long-run.
>>
>> Ok.
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
>>
>> >"Kananathan was unavailable for comment, as was Bitangaro. Ms
>>Mary Okurut, the presidential spokeswoman, said State House has
>>been too busy making preparations for the on-going
>>Inter-Governmental Authority on Development summit to think about
>>the Agoa crisis.
>> >
>> >"I can't talk about that now, we are having visiting Presidents
>>so it is a bad time," she said.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Eh a little spin like 'It is a god time to bury bad news" could
>>do!
>> >JSA
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: Chris Opoka-Okumu
>> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> > Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 2:14 AM
>> > Subject: AGOA girls sleep at Parliament
>> >
>> >
>> > The Monitor
>> > October 24, 2003
>> > Agoa girls sleep at Parliament
>> > By Our Reporters
>> > Oct 24, 2003
>> >
>> >
>> > ** Tri-Star shuts out ministers
>> > ** High Court stops sackings
>> >
>> > KAMPALA - More than 200 female workers at a local textile firm
>>who were sacked on Wednesday spent the night at Parliament
>>yesterday, and vowed not to leave until their problems are solved.
>> >
>> > The young women (popularly referred to as Agoa girls), who
>>spoke to The Monitor by phone, said they were going to sleep on
>>chairs in the TV room in Parliament buildings.
>> >
>> > MPs were by press time organising food for the girls and a
>>place to bathe.
>> > The girls went on strike on Monday, protesting low pay and
>>poor working conditions, before barricading themselves inside their
>>dormitories the following day.
>> >
>> > The strike was ended on Tuesday afternoon after anti-riot
>>police led by the Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Katumba
>>Wamala, broke into the dormitories.
>> >
>> > However, a meeting between the management of the textile firm,
>>Apparels Tri-Star, and labour officials fell through before the
>>textile bosses announced that they were sacking all their
>>production staff.
>> >
>> > The company employs more than 1,000 girls. A law firm working
>>for the workers successfully applied for a court injunction
>>yesterday stopping the dismissals.
>> > Justice Okumu Wengi of the High Court issued the injunction.
>> >
>> > It followed an application filed by one of the girls, Ms Zauja
>>Biryeri, as well as Uganda Textile, Garments, Leather & Allied
>>Workers Union together with the National Organisation of Trade
>>Unions, Notu.
>> >
>> > The application was lodged through Barya, Byamugisha & Co.
>>Advocates. The order restrains the company from sacking the girls
>>without paying all their dues, benefits and repatriation costs.
>> >
>> > It also stops the sackings until a separate civil suit filed
>>yesterday by the girls against the company is disposed of.
>> >
>> > In the civil suit, the girls want to be paid, among others,
>>overtime allowances which they say accrues from working 13, instead
>>of the legally accepted 8-hour days.
>> >
>> > However, policemen deployed at the Tri-Star factory in
>>Bugolobi, Kampala, stopped Workers MP Bruno Pajobo from delivering
>>the injunction to the Tri-Star boss, Mr V. Kananathan.
>> >
>> > Efforts by several senior government officials to speak to the
>>Tri-Star management were in vain.
>> >
>> > Mr Sam Bitangaro, the state minister for Gender, Labour and
>>Social Development, tried unsuccessfully to speak to Kananathan.
>>Government officials who declined to be named in this report said
>>the matter was passed on to Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi, but that
>>he, too, had failed to resolve the impasse - with the textile
>>managers reportedly claiming that they would only speak to
>>President Yoweri Museveni, who helped them set up shop.
>> >
>> > Kananathan was unavailable for comment, as was Bitangaro. Ms
>>Mary Okurut, the presidential spokeswoman, said State House has
>>been too busy making preparations for the on-going
>>Inter-Governmental Authority on Development summit to think about
>>the Agoa crisis.
>> >
>> > "I can't talk about that now, we are having visiting
>>Presidents so it is a bad time," she said.
>> >
>> > When the girls realised that they were not going to be let
>>back into the factory, they marched to Parliament in the afternoon
>>and camped in the gardens.
>> >
>> > Matembe speaks
>> >
>> > They were met there by another Workers MP, Mr Martin Wandera -
>>with many of them either sobbing or wiping tears.
>> >
>> > Wandera told the girls to remain calm while they tried to
>>solve the matter with the Labour ministry.
>> >
>> > Shortly after, outspoken women rights activist and former
>>minister of Ethics and Integrity, Ms Miria Matembe, arrived and
>>advised the girls to seek audience with either the President's
>>Office or those who recruited them.
>> >
>> > "There must be a better way of sending you away; do they
>>expect you to go sell yourselves on the streets?" Matembe said. "Go
>>back to the factory and only leave on instructions of the President
>>like you came."
>> >
>> > Mr Aggrey Awori, the MP for Samia Bugwe North, who also spoke
>>to the girls, told them where to vent their anger.
>> >
>> > "Do you know your President?" he asked. "Yes," they chorused.
>> >
>> > "Then where does he work?" he added, drawing murmurs from the
>>girls.
>> >
>> > "Do you see that building?" he asked, pointing to one of the
>>wings of Parliament, where Mr Museveni has an office. "Yes," they
>>chorused again.
>> >
>> > "That's where he works; go there and ask him why he brought
>>you."
>> > By press time last night, the girls were still camped at
>>Parliament and had vowed not to leave.
>> >
>> > MP Pajobo told The Monitor last evening that he, and his
>>colleagues, would camp with the girls throughout the night.
>> >
>> > Officials comment
>> >
>> > Two senior officials on Agoa were divided over the way forward
>>in the matter.
>> > The Presidential Assistant on Agoa, Ms Susan Muhwezi, who
>>revealed that Tri-Star has been receiving about $200,000 (Shs 400
>>million) a week from its exports, said the girls were free to go.
>> >
>> > "We gave them the skills and it's a free market; they can walk
>>out and go elsewhere if they are not satisfied," she said.
>> >
>> > But the Senior Presidential Adviser on Agoa, Mr Onegi Obel,
>>warned that Tri-Star would be punished if investigations find the
>>firm at fault. "What I see today with the strikes is a case of poor
>>management of human resource," he said.
>> > He promised to do everything within his means to ensure that
>>the girls are reinstated and their grievances settled.
>> >
>> > Reported by Simon Kasyate,
>> > Lominda Afedraru, Alex B. Atuhaire & Henry Ssali
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > � 2003 The Monitor Publications
>> >
>>
>> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >
>> > East African | About Us | Feedback | Site Map | License |
>>Monitor Mail
>> >
>>
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> MSN 8 helps ELIMINATE E-MAIL VIRUSES. Get 2 months FREE*.
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE*
>http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
>
>
>
>--------------------------------------------
>This service is hosted on the Infocom network
>http://www.infocom.co.ug
Get 2 months FREE*.
--------------------------------------------
This service is hosted on the Infocom network
http://www.infocom.co.ug
