Tembo Steels: How employee respect is helping the company in better prospects

To come out on top of an inverted pyramid of sheer industrious power, is a tremendous achievement. But for Tembo Steels Limited, it is sitting high above a Potomac.

Located in Lugazi Municipality, Buikwe District of Central Uganda, Tembo, is not just industrious, but also an opportunity for the many Ugandans seeking for a job, an opportunity to live.

With more than 3000 employees, the company that engages in the manufacturing of different steel and associated accessories that support the Ugandan construction industry.

The industry, with more than 20 years of service within Uganda and the East African region, stands as the largest of corporations, specializing in the manufacturing of hot and cold rolled profiles.

​Indeed, the company’s remarkable success story has been primarily shaped by its commitment to innovation, setting new standards, strengthening capabilities, enriching lives, and maintaining fidelity to its core values.

Offering an extensive array of flat and long products, the company’s product portfolio spans the entirety of the steel value chain, catering to diverse markets. Fueled by an indigenous ethos and a keen foresight into future trends, these factors have been instrumental in propelling the company’s extraordinary growth trajectory.

With a wide contribution to the country’s revenue base, its products are sold within the East and Central African region offering opportunity for the industry laborers to do better while the marketing and sales department moves to market more of Ugandan products to showcase Uganda’s industrious capacity.

“We take pride in what Tembo Steels Limited does. I have often times engaged the directors and managers to understand what really goes about and whether their conditions support employee safety and security and I can ably say, they comprehensively adhere to the labor laws of this country,” says Evelyn Anite, the Minister of Trade in charge of Investment told this website.

Worker compensation claims

Earlier this year, the company has been washed with claims that several of its workers who get injured in line of duty while manning the different machines at their stations are not compensated or even treated.

The most recent claim was that of Godfrey Mwambu who used to operate the metallurgical production. With more than 400 degrees Celsius operating heat, Mwambu claimed to have lacked a single protective gear.

Mwambu claimed, he did not get any medical attention from the company, neither was he compensated. However, the claims were disputed by the company that provided proof. Mwambu was offered Ugx. 48 million for the damages he underwent at the company. He was taken for treatment.

A cheque this website has seen indicates a presented Ugx. 48 million deliberations by the company for which Mwambu appreciated, until the resources were all done. Mwambu had his fingers burnt and cannot hold again. He was offered treatment and phyco-social support.

Just like Mwambu, several other people who have gotten similar injuries within the company have duly been taken care of under the Human Resources Department of the institution, with no ground of deniability. For instance, Joseph Kiiza was compensated with more than 57 million after losing an eye in the factory, before he was retired, awaiting the NSSF pension scheme.

“We are first taken for tests and insurance and the company policies thrill. One of the things I know is that any injury is compensated.” One of the victims told this website. Painfully some of the people suffering such occupational hazards remain stressed and some get to a point of no return.

How a day at Tembo goes like

 For a day at Tendo, workers report early morning before 8.00 am and are taken through the safety and security drills, offered safety gear prior to a breakfast affirmance and set off for work. For all this time, the company has a standby ambulance that can move its people injured for first aid and treatment at nearby health facilities.

“At least, we are among the few companies that offer protective gear to our people working hear to prevent eventualities,” says Kalla Manish, the Chief Operations Officer of the company.

 The creation of numerous job positions seems like a promising development, igniting a sense of optimism within the community. For a dweller who lived on false hope, after getting a job at the company is rest assured to Ugx. 300,000 monthly as a pay out, away from the NSSF savings offered.

With deliberations from the District Labor office and the association of several political leaders into the day-to-day affairs of the workers from the society they come, the company does several corporate social responsibilities with the populations as a way of supporting development within the area.

Jimmy Kanaabi, the Buikwe LCV chairperson says, even when there are a number of challenges in the different factories within the area, there are efforts to ensure that the industries further support local communities in not only providing employment, but also developing infrastructure.