Labour Ministry: Beyond industrial relations mgt
At the mention of Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, what comes to mind is the maintenance of industrial peace and harmony, but in reality the Ministry of Labour and Productivity play s more critical role than just to ensure industrial peace and harmony in the Nigeria labour sector.
The Ministry of Labour and Productivity’s vision and mission is to create enabling environment for employment generation, sustain and promote peaceful industrial relations, enhanced productivity and skills, safe and decent working environment as well as provision of universal social security coverage to Nigerians and to contribute to national growth and development through generation, promotion and sustenance of decent work.
Towards realising its vision, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity has over the years formulated policies and programmes thrusts which had culminated in the development and promotion of productive employment policies and programmes for employment generation and actualization of the National Action Plan on Employment Creation and the Local Employment Content initiatives of the Federal Government. The ministry has also ensured the stimulation and enhancement of national productivity consciousness, rewards for excellence and promotion of national and global competitiveness, skills development, upgrading, certification, placement and empowerment of artisans, tradesmen and applicants in various areas of national needs,including provision of industrial peace and harmony through mediation, conciliation and arbitration of trade disputes, provision of cooperative education and guidelines comprising monitoring of cooperatives at work, provision of social security coverage, welfare and workers compensation to the nation’s workforce.
The ministry also guarantees the promotion of occupational health, safety and welfare in work places as provided in Factories Act, 2004 and subsidiary legislation, formulation, implementation, coordination, monitoring and review of employment policies, legislations, regulations, guidelines collective agreements regards to employment generation, as well as formulation, implementation, enforcement, monitoring and review of policies on terms and conditions of employment and protection and with of workers among others.
In view of its critical role to the survival, growth and development of the country the need to re-classify the ministry to the economic sector with appropriate funding of its activities will no doubt bring to fore the enormous benefit associated with a vibrant labour and productivity ministry.
In his submission to President Muhammad Buhari recently, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh highlighted the need to reclassify the Ministry from social to economic and security sector.
In his words, “the need to place this Ministry of Labour and Productivity within the economic and security category with appropriate funding of its activities cannot be overemphasised as Ministries of Labour all over the world are key to national survival, growth and development, it is the nation’s human capital resources that are responsible for the attainments of these critical objectives”.
The call for the re-classification of the ministry of labour and productivity is apt at this moment when Nigerians have keyed into the change mantra of the present administration, looking forward to a deviation from the past which has to a great extent negatively impacted our dear country.
Nigerians both young and old, employed and unemployed have a lot benefit from a re-classified and re-energized Ministry of Labour and Productivity in line with international best practices as Ministry of Labour all over the world are key to national survival, growth and development.
Akintunde Martins is the Information Officer, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity.