Chinese Construction Firm Taken To Court In Uganda Over HIV Test Requirement For Locals

An aggrieved employee of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Uganda has dragged the firm to court over HIV discrimination.

The employee who worked as a driver narrates how he and other employees were invited to their manager’s office and made to take a HIV test or be fired on the spot.

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Kato, a father of three who used only his first name said:

“(My manager) said: ‘If you don’t go for this test, you’ll be fired’. We had to go along with it because we were afraid of losing our jobs.”

About half a dozen of employees were then taken to a clinic in Kampala to have their blood tested.

When Kato’s results came back as positive, his manager allegedly asked him to sign a resignation letter which led to his suit.

He and another employee are suing their Chinese employer for unfair dismissal and are demanding 400 million Uganda shillings in compensation after both parties failed to reach an out-of-court settlement.

CCCC is one of the world’s largest businesses with a focus on infrastructure projects. The company which has three major road contracts with Uganda’s government, however, denied the allegations in court documents obtained.

“No employee has ever been coerced to take a medical check-up.”

“Medical check-ups undertaken by the plaintiffs, if at all, were not calculated to determine their employment, but for their own health benefit.”

CCCC’s administration manager in Uganda, Hao Yunfeng in Idea made said the company only offers staff free, voluntary HIV tests.

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Kato’s lawyer, Stephen Tumwesigye, however, says the case highlights “glaring human rights violations that are perpetrated unabated” by Ugandan government contractors.

“We hope that in presenting this case before the court, many Ugandans will come out to report such violations,” he said.

About 1.5 million of Uganda’s 40 million people are HIV positive and suffer HIV discrimination.