The Green Jobs and Fair Labour Market Programme:
Background:
The Green Jobs and Fair Labour Makert Programme was developed following a Cabinet Directive to the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and that of Gender, Labour and Social Development to jointly work on strategies to address the issue of job creation in the Country.
Similarly, in a letter dated 31st August 2016, H.E the President urged MDAs to prioritize: (i) skilling and re-skilling programmes in the country, in order to enhance capacity of school leavers and drop-outs for self-employability; (ii) providing support to youth and women in form of affordable credit and grants to both individual and groups, such as market vendors, youth working in garages, metal fabrication, boda-boda operators and car washing bays.
It is from the above challenges that the Green Jobs and Fair Programme was hatched to create jobs that are environmentally sensitive. The central solutions to the challenges mentioned above were identified as green skills acquisitions and provision of technology and capital. The solutions are hinged on the understanding that green jobs require more skills, technology and capital.
What are Green Jobs?
Green Jobs are tasks or pieces of work, especially one that is paid, that efficiently use energy/raw materials and minimize the generation of wastes and pollution.
According to UN-ILO (2016), Green jobs are decent jobs that contribute to preservation or restoration of the environment, be they in traditional sectors such as manufacturing and construction, or in new, emerging green sectors such as renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The green jobs incorporate one or more of the following aspects: improving energy and raw materials efficiency;
- limiting greenhouse gas emissions;
- minimizing waste and pollution;
- protecting and restoring ecosystems; and
- Supporting adaptation to the effects of climate change.
Green jobs must respond to the decent work principles. A decent job involves opportunities for work that is productive, delivers fair income, provides security in the workplace and social protection for workers and their families, offers social protection and better prospects for personal development, and gives people the freedom to express their concerns and guarantees equal opportunities and equal treatment for all.
Components of the Green Jobs Programme:
- a) Informal Sector (Jua-kalis) businesses support. This focuses on the provision of green technology, business start-ups toolkits and equipment to Jua-kali groups and SMEs to promote green production through energy and resource efficiency. So far, 277 groups and 5000 individuals have benefitted from this component.
- b) Promotion of Green Skills. This focuses on extending green skills development to both public institutions and private enterprises to spur the expansion of the green economy. This component will also prioritize green apprenticeships as a job creation strategy for youth. The Uganda National Green Skills Development Strategy and Plan will be developed and implemented.
- c) Promotion of Green Research and innovation. This focuses on supporting 25 researchers per annum in both private and public institutions with grants for both applied and basic green research. This intervention will also fund employers with research and development unit to innovate green solutions for green enterprises.
- d) Promotion of Social Safeguards in infrastructural development projects. This focuses on promoting safeguards standards that aim at preventing, mitigating and responding to social, safety and health risks in infrastructure development projects. It will enforce labour standards and good working conditions in all infrastructure projects majorly roads/railway/airports, energy, mining, water and agriculture.