Platform for Labour Action (PLA) is a certified National Non- Government Organization that was founded in the year 2000 to promote and protect the rights of vulnerable and marginalized workers in Uganda. It is also a licensed legal aid service provider by the Uganda Law Council.

PLA is a member of National Steering Committee on the Elimination of Child Labour chaired by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, a member of National Child Protection Working Group under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development; member of the Steering Committee of Social Protection Platform Uganda; A member of Uganda Child`s Rights NGO Network. an opted member of the National Prevention of Trafficking in Person Committee coordinated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs Uganda, a member National Coordination Committee an institutional Frame work for Alliance 8.7 in Uganda  chaired by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development,

PLA is a founding member of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Person Uganda, a member of the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda and a member of Legal Aid Service providers Network where PLA chairs the network’s Social Justice Cluster.

In order to perform its mission effectively and efficiently, PLA operates both independently and in partnership/collaboration with national and international institutions and organizations such as NGOs, CBOs, Trade Unions, Central and Local Governments and private companies.

PLA’s CORE VALUES 

  • Professionalism – PLA is a learning organization that listens to its target group, be flexible, be responsive to the external and internal environment, and ensure that interventions effectively reach the target group in a timely and valuable way; resource allocation system that considers the vulnerable and promotes equity.
  • PLA staff are committed to providing high quality service; exhibit high levels of competence, honor, and integrity in all we do; respect organization’s principles and values, communicate effectively, search for and apply knowledge in our work.
  • Transparency and Accountability –PLA conforms to the ethical behavior and generally accepted standards of effectiveness, responsibly utilize available resources according to what it plans and promises to deliver and openly share the information with relevant key stakeholders.
  • Commitment – We put the best interests of the organization first, believe in the work we do and do our best for the satisfaction of our key stakeholders, persevere, and appreciate hardship and challenges in our work.
  • We invest time and resources towards the welfare of the most vulnerable, marginalized and undocumented workers in the informal sector in the focus areas of PLA.
  • Teamwork – PLA appreciates that every staff person’s opinion matters, every achievement is the achievement of the team; satisfaction is a mutual reward as everyone is a link in chain that leads to our goals.
  • Respect for human rights and justice: PLA upholds the dignity of all without discrimination and respect the fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution

PLA Target population

PLA interventions target vulnerable and marginalized workers including:

  • Children in exploitative forms of work and those at risk of exploitation
  • Informal sector worker (market vendors, street vendors and those in precarious forms of work),
  • Women (domestic workers, family workers, women in rural subsistence agriculture, unpaid care workers),
  • Youth and low income earners  (below 600,000 Uganda Shillings per month) 

Our Geographical Operation

PLA’s programmes are implemented at the National and District level.

Currently, we are in three Regions of Uganda namely; Eastern, Northern and Central Regions of Uganda.

Districts;

Central Region: PLA operates in the Kampala Capital City, Wakiso Mukono, Mpigi

Eastern Region: Kaliro, Bugiri, Iganga, Busia, Tororo, Jinja, Namayingo and Bugweri

Northern Region: Lira City, Dokolo, Amolatar

WHAT WE DO?

Our programme portfolios

  1. Human Rights and Accountability

This programme area addresses the following; Limited Rights awareness, Inability to afford legal services by the vulnerable and marginalized workers, Inadequate protection for certain categories of workers.

For each of the drivers, PLA undertake strategic interventions including fostering legal and policy reforms, implementation and accountability, provision of legal aid and increased access to rights information for the vulnerable and marginalised workers in Uganda.

  1. Social Protection

This programme area addresses the following; High level of women and youths unemployment and its attendant effects; limited social protection coverage for the working population; Limited employable skill among young people; High prevalence of child labour, child exploitation and child Abuse; and Limited knowledge and access to sexual reproductive health rights and services.

PLA undertakes strategic interventions: Rehabilitation and Reintegration, Provision of children education initiatives, vocational Skills Development; School to work transition programmes; safe and productive migration for women and youth; Livelihood programmes for vulnerable  households; advocacy and lobbying for enhanced social protection coverage; promotion of gender equality and access to sexual rights and services for women, young people and adolescent.

  1. Research and knowledge management

PLA develops research agendas on current labour and employment emerging issues and conduct operational research in order to generate credible information related to labour and employment sector with particular focus on the vulnerable and marginalized workers. This research informs our strategic interventions.

  1. Institutional Development.

We believe that a sustainable organization is one that is able to continue operations and implement relevant programs using its own resources in addition to the donations and grants.

In this respect, PLA engages in social enterprise interventions to raise resources to support the fulfillment of its mandate.  It is highly accountable to its internal and external stakeholders, has developed a solid reputation over the years, it is consistently raising its standards of service enabling it to attract more development partners.