A GINA feature

RESTRUCTURING is a major focus of the Ministry of Labour as it seeks to make its many programmes more effective, to create more employment opportunities, empower youths with skills that will make them marketable and more importantly, to eliminate any form of child labour.

No person who is 15 years or younger should be employed and any person found employing these persons will not be treated lightly is the message of Labour Minister Mr. Manzoor Nadir.

With the availability of more resources for training of early school leavers, the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment focuses on skills training so that young people can be equipped with entry level skills to get into the workforce.

The programme targets 1,700 young people in upgrading their competency in Math and English.

In an effort to promote employment, the Labour Ministry is undertaking the task of matching skills with industry and in this regard the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency has been re-launched.

The Ministry has recorded an increase in the number of unemployed persons registering for jobs and there has also been a 40 to 60 percent increase in businesses offering vacancies.

To ensure that labour officers function effectively, the Ministry merged the functions of the labour officers and occupation, safety and health officers thereby creating the Labour, Occupation, Safety and Health Officer (LOSH).

Improving the industrial relations climate in the country, is also an important aspect of the ministry’s functions and it is currently in the process of staff training to conduct field assessments, an effort to ensure that labour officers are equipped to fulfill the Ministry’s mandate of ensuring that workers are in a safe and healthy environment, and that employers observe the labour regulations.

Within the last 18 months, the Ministry has looked at the industrial relations climate to gear staff to think about labour as a factor of production.

Training will also enable officers to conduct quality inspections and determine any violations of laws in workplaces.

Last year there was an increase in the number of inspections with close to 2,400 inspections done. This year 3,000 is the target.

The Ministry will place emphasis on prosecution of businesses which are found in violation of labour laws. These include employers who have unsafe working and unhealthy working environments and those who do not pay NIS for their workers. Several cases are currently before the court.

As staff undergo training, the human resource capacity is boosted. Four officers recently underwent training overseas on issues related to workplace and safety. Another officer will be attending training in Peru to assess other countries’ experiences with employment exchanges and in creation of youth training programmes especially for school drop outs. Next month, a number of officers will go to Trinidad and Tobago on a one-week attachment at the occupation, safety and health department. There will be a reciprocal attachment in Guyana.

Staff were involved in local training, too, as the Ministry partnered with the International Labour Organisation to host a five-day workshop in mediation and conciliation from April 24 to 30.

The ILO is the most influential and universally recognized organisation on labour matters, setting international standards for the world of work and the Ministry of Labour has been a member since 1966.

It has within its portfolio, responsibility for the industrial relations climate in the country, occupational safety and health, skills training through the Board of Industrial Training and the National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment, responsibility for co-operatives and registration of friendly societies and the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency.