By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

HUMAN Capital Providers Association of Nigeria, HuCaPAN, the umbrella body of licensed recruiters (Outsourcing companies) in the country has appealed to the Labour Ministry to look into the processes of issuance and renewal of recruiters’ license with a view to making it less cumbersome.

President of the association, Mr. Alexander Emedo, who spoke at the 2nd Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the group in Lagos, said the process was too stringent and constitutes a major challenge to private employment agencies.

Emedo argued that the conditions for obtaining the license and its renewal should take into account best practices, especially Convention 87 of the International Labour Organisation, ILO, on freedom of association and Section 40 of the nation’s constitution.

He assured that the association would work with the ministry in the new dispensation to ensure that members adhere to the requirements.

On casualisation and unfair labour practices by employers, HuCaPAN President urged the ministry to make it mandatory for all registered private employment agencies in the country to belong to HuCaPAN to ensure that their employees were pensionable, have health coverage and good life insurance coverage in line with the requirements for issuance of recruiters license.

According to him, the Ministry of Labour alone can not monitor all the private employment agencies but with a central body like HuCaPan, we can partner with the ministry to address unfair labour practices and the issue of quacks in the industry.

This way, we can also ensure freedom of association of our employees who so desire in line of with Convention 87 of the ILO and Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution. It is sad that thousands of agencies are operating outside the umbrella of the association and control of the ministry of labour and productivity. We require all the state coordinators of the federal ministry of labour and productivity to give their full support to help sanitise this industry.”

Speaking, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, said the licensing of private employment agencies was to promote the basic human rights and enhance employability.

In his goodwill message, the minister, who was represented by Controller, Lagos office of the Ministry, Nafisat Arogundade, said, licensing private employment agencies became necessary because of incessant reports of unfair labour practices and the need to regulate parallel and multiple levels of recruitment in the country.