TotalEnergies EP Uganda is grappling with accusations of violating Ugandan labour laws and engaging in unfair practices, regarding termination of local staff contracts through employment agencies.
A formal complaint has been filed against the French firm, which operates Tilenga Oil Project within Buliisa and Nywoya districts in the north of Lake Albert, alleging breaches of several sections of the Employment Act, 2006.
The accusations come as Uganda embarks on the development phase of its oil reserves, estimated at 6.5 billion barrels.
The Tilenga and Kingfisher upstream projects, operated by TotalEnergies and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Uganda Limited, the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and a proposed oil refinery are expected to generate significant employment opportunities.
A 2013 survey projected a workforce requirement of 161,700 jobs during peak construction.
But, concerns are being raised about how these jobs are being handled.
TotalEnergies, along with CNOOC, have contracted agencies like SEAWOL, Q-Sourcing, and Orion and True North JV Limited.
One of the current complaint which The Albertine Journal understands is in court, stems from a labour dispute that began in October 2023, with allegations that TotalEnergies EP Uganda used Orion and True North JV Limited, a local agency to terminate a contract of a staff on the pretext of departmental re-structuring, under-performance and redundancy, allegedly as a ruse to ‘eliminate’ someone.
Sources indicate that many staff members feel aggrieved by the apparent disparity between permanent staff directly employed by TotalEnergies and temporary staff hired through agencies.
Allegations of unequal pay, segregation and a toxic work environment have also been cited.
Some employees claim to be performing the bulk of the field work while others in Kampala headquarters, with more lucrative packages, are perceived as contributing less but having greater influence.
The complainant who requested anonymity raised concerns like the future of job prospects.
Matia Kajura, a community leader in Hoima City during an abrupt presser on Saturday, alleged that local talent is being sidelined in favour of employees from outside the Bunyoro sub-region.
Kajura claims that many skilled locals have been unfairly dismissed. Other sources say the termination that is before court occurred while one of the employees was recovering from hospitalisation, a fact known to TotalEnergies.
“The matter is before court. It is not right to put it in the media. Let us wait for court,” the source said, citing sub-judice.
Accusations of conflict of interest in the matter have been leveled against Orion True North JV Limited and TotalEnergies.
Kajura said one of the complaints further details allegations of unfair treatment, including sidelining the (complainant) from key assignments and a supervisor’s alleged request to replace the (complainant) while still on sick leave.
TotalEnergies is also accused of unjustifiably maintaining two officers in the same position, which Kajura declined to reveal also on sub-judice grounds, while terminating the complainant’s contract, which was valid until December 31, 2025.
Kajura said the complainant reportedly wore TotalEnergies branded attire and represented the company in various capacities, saying there is no way the oil firm would deny that the (complainant) was not their employee.
Kajura said to their chagrin the Ministry of Labour has not intervened in these concerns, prompting staff to anonymously share information for advocacy.
Efforts to reach the Ministry of Labour for comment were futile by press time.
The community leader said the termination did not follow Ugandan Labour law, nor was the Ministry of Labour informed as required in some cases.
Kajura added that the complainant was not issued a four-week notice of termination, a breach of Section 58 (1) and 65 (1) of the Employment Act.
Section 58(1) states that an employer must give written notice to terminate employment and Section 65(1) adds that in the absence of a written notice, the employee may not need to give prior notice to terminate employment.
Orion True North JV Limited could not be reached for a comment.
Anita Kayongo, the Corporate Affairs Manager for TotalEnergies EP Uganda, on Sunday told The Albertine Journal by phone that they needed to investigate internally, but requested the reporter to send the inquiry by email with the complainant’s name.
“Knowing the complainant’s name will help me to follow up,” she added. “Without it, we cannot confirm or deny the allegations.”
Kajura called for better working conditions and fairer job allocation, promising to stage a peaceful demonstration early next month if the demands are not met.
