By Shawn Mubiru
Just days after I shared a story where one Agaba Regan exposed the rot within Barkharessa Grain Millers Limited (Azam), more workers have come up to reveal the unthinkable acts of harassment and mistreatment their foreigner bosses are doing to them.
Just walking in the streets of Kazinga near Azam factory, we came across one Joseph Wabwire aged 25 years. He reveals for the last three years, he has been working in Azam as a mill cleaner. He said that on 07/08/2013 at 4:45 pm he was instructed to clean a machine which appeared to be faulty as flour was not moving normally as it used to be. He adds that someone started the machine that crushed his fingers and up to now cannot fold them.
“As soon as I started cleaning the machine as my supervisor had instructed me, someone I did not see switched on the machine that crushed my fingers. I was rushed to UCDI Health Centre where I got first Aid. I fell sick for four months without any assistance from the company and when I returned Mr Yaraga the General Manager and my immediate supervisor now the Human Resource Naivo told me that they do employ lame people in their company and therefore forced me to leave their premises immediately. That’s how I lost my Job and the fingers,” narrated Wabwire.
He said that he went to Mulago for further treatment where the scan proved that the bones in the fingers had gotten broken adding that they may not be replaceable.
He added that several workers have been crippled by the Azam machines and the only payment is firing them without even paying them their hard earned money. He cited other examples of one Anita from Bweyogerere whose face was compressed by the machine as she cleaned it. He said that blood oozed out of her face, ears nose and mouth as she fell on the ground unconsciously. She was rushed and abandoned at UCDI Health center from where the family picked and took her to Mulago Hospital. She was declared deaf, up to now Pass is still coming out of her ears and doctors advised her never to listen to Radio, never to be in a noisy place and never to use a mobile phone.
Another victim is Peter Wafura who also lost his right finger and was later dismissed under unclear circumstances saying that he had also became lame. Other workers that have similar challenges were identified as Farouk a mechanic, one O.J, Karim also fingers cut off, Mubiru got a fractured leg and is abandoned in their home in Seeta, Bwire Robert in Mukono was hit by a 90kg bag of wheat flour, Daniel Makonzi was also hit by the machine and dismissed without treating him now in the village of Kamuli among others.
Another section of workers facing the same wrath are female workers who confided in this reporter that they are sexually harassed by their foreigner bosses citing Naivo, Yaraga, Wandera, and another one identified as Leddie.
These female workers who preferred anonymity for fear of being dismissed from work revealed that they have been working in the same company since 2008 but have since been earning UGX 7,500 per day. No lunch, no transport yet they are entitled to those benefits and have never been recruited as their workers but instead are considered casual workers since then.
“I have worked with this company since 2008. Recently when I asked about a promotion and salary increment, Leddie told me to first sleep with him and everything will be sorted out. Yaraga told me that if I want better pay for the job I am doing that I should board the plane like he did and go to his country and be paid highly as a foreigner,” narrated one of the female workers who requested that her name be withheld.
She said there is no female or male Ugandan on the managerial position in Azam but instead considered casual workers. She said that even after submitting to them sexually as they request, these foreigner bosses will not consider giving them a better pay.
Another section or department affected most is the Mechanical engineering one of the members revealed to this reporter that he has worked as a casual worker since 2008. He said that they bring people from different countries that come as experts yet they do not know anything.
“Recently one Jonah was brought in as an expatriate in Engineering from Tanzania but was found out to be a Ship engineer and had never been in the mills. We were forced to train him and right now he earns UGX 5 million yet some of us who taught him are still earning UGX 10,000 per day,” said one of the Engineers at Azam.
He cited a recent example when Jonah, who is now the chief engineer at the facility, caused a mechanical break down after welding where he was not supposed to weld.
He said that their foreigner bosses are very arrogant and reveal that they are not in Uganda to please any Ugandan and will not listen to any of their complaints.
He added that despite working in that hazardous place, they are not provided with safety gears, no shoes, no gloves yet their work exposes them to so many dangers.
It has also come to our notice that Regan Agaba who offered to talk to this Paper on record in the recent publication has since been fired from the factory and is now jobless. It has also been found out that that they have followed him and confiscated his household property threatening that if he comes back in the factory will be arrested.