Victor AHIUMA-YOUNG,

The Federal Government has set up a 21-man tripartite committee headed by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. James Ocholi, to resolve contentious labour issues in the nation’s petroleum industry.

Ocholi

Members of the committee are drawn from the Ministry as well as the ministries of Petroleum Resources and Interior. Other members include the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC; National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS; Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB; and Nigeria Immigration Services, NIS.

Also included are the Oil Producers Trade Section, OPTS, of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI; Labour Contractor in the Oil and Gas Sector; Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN; and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG.

A statement by the Deputy Director (Press), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Samuel Olowookere, said the committee which has two months to complete its assignment, is to review existing guidelines on labour administration issues.

Such issues include contract staffing and outsourcing and upgrade the guidelines to a ministerial regulation as provided by Section 88 (1)(e) and (g) of the Labour Act, CAP L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004.

Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, explained that the committee was necessitated by government’s determination to nurture sustainable employment relationship devoid of strives and rancour in the sector.

The Minister noted that the government was not unmindful of the present challenges arising from the global dwindling prices of crude, arguing that job cut was not the solution.

According to him:  “We are all in agreement that the Oil and Gas Sector is currently facing challenges, the Federal Government is mindful of the concerns of both the employers and the employees, and is determined to nurture viable employment relationship devoid of strife. Hence the need to employ social dialogue mechanism to proffer solution to challenges confronting the sector.”

The committee is also to consider modalities for achieving retention of jobs in view of current challenges facing the oil and gas sector as well as look into other important concerns to the sustenance and promotion of industrial peace in the sector

Responding, Chairman of the Committee, assured the Minister that the committee would do its best to ensure sustainable industrial peace and harmony in the Oil and Gas Sector.