Employment
The Employment Act 2006 with industrial court adjudication
The Employment Act 2006 requires a valid reason and a hearing before dismissal, and the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act 2006 routes disputes through labour officers to the Industrial Court. The statutory week is 48 hours.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Labour officers handle complaints at first instance; the Industrial Court hears references and appeals.
- Deadline — Complaint to a labour officer: within three months of the act complained of
- Deadline — Notice: from two weeks to three months depending on length of service
- Deadline — Probation: maximum six months, extendable once by agreement
Governing law
- Employment Act, 2006No. 6 of 2006
- Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act, 2006No. 8 of 2006
- Workers' Compensation ActCap 225
In practice
The Industrial Court's long dormancy — it did not sit for years before being reconstituted in 2014 — created a backlog that shapes Ugandan employment practice: many claims are resolved by labour officers because the alternative was indefinite delay. Section 66 of the Employment Act requires a hearing before dismissal, mirroring Kenya's section 41.