ABUJA (Ministry of Labour & Productivity Report) – As Nigeria joined the international community to mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work lately, the National Assembly was called upon to expedite the passage into law of the Occupational Safety and Health Bill to provide additional platforms for tackling emerging occupational safety and health issues in the country.
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, who made the plea in a keynote address in Abuja also indicated that the Ministry has commenced the process for Nigeria’s ratification of the International Labour Convention concerning Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work, Convention 1990 (C.170), adding that regulations to cover critical chemical usage in Nigeria would be developed.
According to the monthly activities report for May 2014 published by the Public Relations Department of the Ministry, the Nigerian Government is committed to entrenching fair labour practices and decent work in the restructuring and privatization process of the power sector. The report also said that the Minister promised at the inauguration of the Technical Working Group (TWG) to develop the operational guidelines on industrial relations for the reformed power sector. He also indicated that a National Joint Industrial Council for the Power Sector would be established and empowered with a structure of collective bargaining in conformity with global best practices.
The report further hinted that the Minister of Labour and Productivity during the month, inducted 220 unemployed young mechanical/electrical engineers as pioneer beneficiaries of a one-year training and empowerment programme. It added that the Minister commended President Goodluck Jonathan for his support to the youth empowerment programmes of SURE-P, urging beneficiaries to apply the skills they would receive towards improving power generation, transmission and distribution.
On the intervention by the Minister of Labour and Productivity over the planned one-day warning strike by the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union (RATTAWU), leading to suspension of the arrangement, the report noted that the feat was attained through a mediatory meeting convened by the Minister for deliberation on issues of interest to the Union.
Other mediatory meetings, the report said were held with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources as well as the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Also mention was the meeting with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) in Abuja during the period under review. It further stated that to ensure effective implementation of the Community Services Women and Youths Employment (CSWYE) Project of SURE-P, the Project Implementation Unit of the Ministry of Labour and Productivity delivered some locally made IVM – G5 sports utility vehicles which were recently approved for purchase by Government.
While speaking at the training programme to mark the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Clement Illoh represented by the Project Director of CSWYE, Martina Nwordu said that the training programme was aimed at sharpening the skills of project drivers to ensure effective utilisation of the newly procured utility vehicles. Paul Ijeoma, a driver from the Abia State Project Implementation Unit said on behalf of participants that the Nigerian Government did impact on Nigerians through the Community Services Women and Youths Employment Project.
In another development, the Minister of Labour and Productivity while declaring open a two-day workshop for CSWYE Project’s technical officers averred that the Community Services Women and Youths Employment (CSWYE) Project of SURE-P has established online data collection and analysis tools for monitoring and evaluation towards adherence to the implementation of the project. He described the project as a palliative for giving succour to the under-privileged in the society.
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