Are your rights respected at work?

A few weeks ago, Jean Bosco Rubayiza, walked into the offices of The New Times complaining that he had been thrown out of his job. This he says was because he had complained to the media about the hardships the employees endure at his then work station. He was later summoned by the boss, who not only demanded to know why he had dared to speak to the media but to tell him who else could have divulged the goings on of his company to the press. He denied all the allegations and feigned ignorance when asked about whom else could have done it. “I was summoned and asked to name those who had made our internal issues known to the media and I made it clear I knew nothing,” said Rubayiza. For his denials, so he says, Rubayiza was shown the exit two days later. Jobless and with nothing to loose, Rubayiza gave an exclusive interview revealing the small details of the misery that was at his former job station. However his colleagues, who looked and talked more bitterly, were still scared to go on record. They were not sure whether they would live another day on their jobs if they talked on record. This is a predicament shared by many. But what is unique about Rubayiza and his colleagues, is that theirs was a very low income occupation of working the factory lines of a plastic company RWACOM. Indeed when this reporter sought the views of th was a fallacy and it was made known to him, upon which he shifted gears claiming that his was just a small company and the policy could be new to private enterprises. But some of the issues faced by some employees have little to do with their employers although they may have an interest. This is indeed what happened to security guards for the company intersect, a security firm when they formed a savings association. In the association, they would contribute 10 percent of their salaries to the savings scheme. But two years down the road, the association had collapsed. They blamed an internal syndicate within the organisation for having swindled their funds leading to the collapse of the association. But this issue clearly was of their-own making. Their own leaders and not their employers had defrauded them of their hard earned savings. When contacted by the media the boss of Intersec Claver Kuramba was quick to distance himself from the circus. He told journalists that he had never been a member of the association and he had nothing to do with them. But as a manger he was willing to assist them in their hour of need. But with out doubt many workers are dissatisfied with the conditions they operate in. James, 28, is a university graduate working for a private bank in Kigali. He said he would not give his full names for fear of the consequences. He complains of working long hours for little pay. But he can not quit his job because he says he is not sure of the future outside. “Sometimes I sit for more than ten hours working non stop save for a short lunch break and can you imagine I am paid peanuts,” he says without going into the details of what the peanuts are equal to in real monetary terms. The national labor inspector in the ministry of labor Julie Kamukama explains that they always endeavor to supervise the work conditions of employees in all organizations. She explains that they carry out routine inspections. More so every district has a person who is in charge of inspecting the labor conditions in the employing organizations. These are the people responsible for ensuring that workers rights are protected. Kamukama explained that where employees make complaints about their bosses or the working conditions in their organisation, they respond and give warning to the bosses of such organisation. They give the bosses one month grace period and when they do not reform, appropriate action is taken. Ends