Labour ministry harps on industrial harmony

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity Dr.Clement Illoh has said that industrial peace and harmony is inevitable for economic growth and development as no nation can strive where its industrial climate is saturated with industrial disharmony.  Dr. Illoh stated this recently in Abuja at a 2-day refresher course organized for Labour and […]

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity Dr.Clement Illoh has said that industrial peace and harmony is inevitable for economic growth and development as no nation can strive where its industrial climate is saturated with industrial disharmony.
 Dr. Illoh stated this recently in Abuja at a 2-day refresher course organized for Labour and Factory Officers on Grade Levels 10-14 in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity Headquarters and 36 state offices.
He said that the workshop was apt especially at this time when the nation is channeling its resources to achieve economic transformation, national competitiveness and global ranking.
He said further that the objective of this workshop is aimed at updating participants’ knowledge and understanding of labour administration and its various components with a view to improving labour protection services in all sectors of the Nigeria economy.
“ It is also one of the ways the ministry aimed at closing and removing the observed gaps in performance of professional officers and other relevant implementing agencies. This will no doubt reposition and sharpen officers’ skills and competencies in readiness to the change agenda of the present administration,” he said.
He emphasized that the development of Nigeria depends on the labour force which is the bedrock that creates the wealth of any nation, adding that it is the labour force in a society that determines the direction of that society.
Dr. Illoh decried the insufficient number of both labour and factory inspectors to supervise the large number of factories all over the country in accordance to the terms of international standard to be achieved as set up by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
To alleviate this situation, he said: ‘’ the ministry is recruiting factory inspectors and labour officers and it has been able to recruit up to 400 factory inspectors and labour officers in the last 3 years which is inadequate compared to the number of factories that are liable for inspection and one way of solving this problem is through capacity development we are doing today.”
The Permanent Secretary recalled that during the ministry’s briefing to Mr. President, the ministry promised to increase the number of inspections to at least 25,000 per quarter, which according to him will increase the number to 100,000 in a year.
“The ministry is doing this through the refresher courses being organized for the officers. At the end of the programme the officer would have been better equipped with better knowledge and modern strategies.”
‘’I therefore urge the participants to make good use of the opportunities this workshop offers to build and improve on their professional capacities and capabilities in the areas of labour inspections, occupation health and safety legislations, and inspection, social dialogue, trade disputes resolution, social Security and cooperative education, productivity and national competitiveness amongst others.’’