The Central Organisation of Free Trade Unions- Uganda (COFTU) is a National Labour Centre/ federation of Labour Unions founded in 2003 and established by an Act of Parliament, the Labour Unions Act, in 2006.
COFTU operates a National Secretariat in Kampala at its head office on 3A, 3rd Floor, Rovis Complex, Plot 49, Ntinda Road, Ntinda, Kampala. Currently COFTU has organised members in recognized and or registered workers Organisations, national labour unions, professional bodies, workers associations, district workers’ Organisations and grassroots structures up to the village level countrywide representing workers from the public, private, formal and informal sectors.
COFTU Historic Mission
COFTU was formed for a historic mission based on a Spectrum of Strategic Interventions in eight (8) key areas to revive and transform the labour movement in Uganda and erase the injunctions constituted within the age-old internal rigidities.
The Eight (8) Interventions in the Spectrum included:
- Restoring good governance and constitutionalism in the management of workers’ organizations;
- Promoting the development and defending the interests of independent trade unionism;
- Establishment of a service-oriented labour movement for the protection of workers’ interests;
- Strengthening the capacity of trade unions to deliver on the fundamental mission;
- The philosophy of consolidating solidarity and synergy.
- Networking and greater collaboration;
- Restoring integrity and ethics in labour relations; and
- Contributing to social transformation by improving productivity and service delivery to members.