Improving labour administration, key to enhancing productivity – Permanent Secretary

Improving Labour administration has been identified as key to enhancing productivity and responding to the current global economic crisis.

The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms Kachollom Daju, stated this at the Senior Officers Conference organized for the Professional Department of the Ministry and its Agencies in Abuja.

She said that the context in which International Labour Standards operate has changed fundamentally owing to socio-economic challenges and developments which has led governments to review their labour operating models to suit these peculiarities.

According to her, the country is currently passing through socio-economic changes and challenges of its own which could be attributed to the removal of petrol subsidy by the present administration among other peculiarities.

Daju believes that the current economic crisis has availed the Federal Government and the Ministry by extension an additional opportunity to redefine the role and working methods, as well as increase the profile of labour administrations as a key mechanism in crisis response.

“This year’s Conference theme, “Labour Administration in a Dwindling Economy: Issues, Challenges and Prospects” is apt at this time when the nation is passing through some socio-economic changes and challenges, which currently can be attributed to the removal of petrol subsidy by the present administration.

“The current economic crisis has introduced an additional impetus for redefining the role and working methods, as well as increasing the profile of labour administrations as a key mechanism in the crisis response”, she said.

The Permanent Secretary emphasized that if the Ministry and its Agencies must remain relevant and effective, “There is a need to strengthen the role of key players in coordinating elements of national labour policy vis a viz other critical government policies to achieve a holistic intervention towards achieving a healthy industrial climate.

“Furthermore, the new forms of employment relationships, owing to technology and artificial intelligence is a trend that we cannot shy away from if the future of work in Nigeria is to be safe guarded and the strategic objectives of the Ministry realized,” Daju said.

While calling for better inclusion within the public service so that other critical programmes of government aimed at enhancing productivity in the Service are mainstreamed into daily operations to ensure a holistic implementation, the Permanent Secretary also noted that Labour Administration System cannot effectively thrive if operated in isolation.

She said that the Ministry had made remarkable strides towards implementing FCSSIP 2021-2025 and other Public Service Reforms, reviewed key policies like the National Policy on Occupation Health and Safety, Labour Migration and National Employment Policy.

Others according to her are, “Upgraded the National Electronic Labour Exchange (NELEX) resuscitated the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) , received international recognition by being elected at the Chair of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) as well as ratified relevant ILO conventions to strengthen labour administration in the country to meet international best practices”.

She commended the principal officers and heads of agencies for all their contributions and urged them to continue to sue for effective and efficient service delivery in their day to day operations.

Also speaking at the conference the Director Inspectorate, Mrs Olaolu Olaitan, explained that “Today’s Labour Administration was operational in a rapidly changing environment characterized by dramatic economic, institutional and political transformations that had affected patterns of production, work organization, employment structures and increased labour migration”.

She said that these changes had also put governments under pressure to reduce public spending whilst improving public service delivery adding to challenges labour administrators have to deal with.

Mrs Olaitan added that to effectively improve the quality of service depended largely on the coherence of the National Labour Policy.

The Director stated that the objective of the conference was therefore to define ways to deepen labour administration services especially in a dwindling economy to improve the wellbeing of those in the world of work.

Social partners of the Ministry present at the event included representatives of the International Labour Organization ILO, Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association NECA amongst others.

PIAK