Flower Workers Seek Minimum Wage.

Byline: Martin Ssebuyira and Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa

Allan Wamala, 31, is a flower harvester at Melissa flower firm. He works from 7am to 5.30pm to get a daily wage of Shs2, 000. He has a wife and three children he is mandated to feed and pay school fees for.

"Things are tight and I cannot take all the four children to school," he says. "My children often fall sick and when I go to bosses for help, they give me a cover letter to Kisubi Hospital for treatment, but deduct the bills from my peanut wages."

Wamala says he too falls sick frequently and sometimes works for three to four months without getting a penny because all goes on clearing hospital bills. Most workers in this business, like Wamala, regularly fall sick due to the effects of pesticides they are exposed to while on the farm. Wamala pays a monthly rent of Shs27, 000 and saves some to take to his parents and siblings back in the village, which is making his life hard.

Wamala is not alone in …