National Dialogue on the Future of Work in Uganda

Kampala (ILO News): Uganda launched a National forum on 'Future of Work' on October 18, 2016 bringing together ILO constituents, policy makers, executive bodies, civil society organizations, youth and women, and the media fraternity.

This initiative is a follow up to the ILO Director General's launching of ‘The Future of Work Centenary Initiative’ (FWCI) as one of the activities, which will mark ILO’s centenary in 2019. The rationale behind the FWCI is to give ILO member states the opportunity to understand and respond effectively to the fast and big transformations that are taking place in the world of work today. It also aims at thinking through the overall dynamics and direction of change and what this requires for the future work.

Work, what it is and how we do it is dynamically changing. It is also changing our societies as well. Factors like (i) Globalization, (ii) Climate change, (iii) Demographic characteristics, (iv) Technological advancement and (v) Raising inequalities, continue to influence “work” and “the way we work”.

This calls on Ugandans to start the dialogue today that will influence development of commensurate policies that will steer the future of work, in attaining the Uganda’s Vision 2040. The dialogue will discuss the following themes:

1. Work and society; What does work mean not only to earn an income but in improving our lives and direction
2. Decent jobs; Where will jobs come from and what form will they take if we are aiming to create 40 million jobs per year
3. Organization of work; What will enterprises look like tomorrow with the advancement of digital and internet that is entirely mediating work in new ways
4. Governance; What labour and employment policy reforms need to happen in order to support the transitions in work? How can we attain an employment-led economic growth?

As the ILO heads to its centenary in 2019, the Future of Work Initiative will draw on the reflections of the realities of work and ensure that workers, employers and government formulate policies on the future of work that will address global consequences to positively impact on working men and women in Uganda.

The report from Uganda will be synthesised into a global report on the “Future of Work” by a commission that will be set up by the ILO Director General in 2017. The global report will culminate into the discussions of the future of work at the ILO 2019 International Labour Conference, to coincide with the ILO Centenary.