From Yakubu Busari, Jos
Private Employment Agencies in Nigeria, also know as Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria, HuCa PAN, have knocked the House of Representatives for proposing a bill it said confuses outsourcing with casualization.
The organization which aims to develop and promote International Labour Standards and ethical practices in recruitment, deployment and management of outsourced personnel in Nigeria, said sponsor of the proposed private member bill at the House of Representatives, which aimed at outlawing outsourcing was not well informed on outsourcing industry stating that there is clear difference between outsourcing and casualisation.
President, Mr. Remi Adegboyega who doubled as the Chairman of the meeting in his address at a virtual AGM of the body during the week, said, “It appears that the sponsor of the bill (like many other members) are not well informed about the concept of outsourcing because even the United Nations and its other agencies make use of outsourced personnel like interpreters, drivers, security personnel etc.
“Most of our lawmakers, policy makers and Nigerians have not researched into outsourcing and its benefits to the economy. Private Employment Agencies employ between 3-5 million workers and pays different forms of tax like Company Income Tax, Withholding Tax, Pay As You Earn (PAYE) etc. to the government.
“There is no relationship between outsourcing which promotes decent jobs and casualisation. I urge our legislators to rather be concerned with terms and conditions of service of the workers rather than who they work for. I am optimistic that the bill would fail on technical ground given the fact that labour legislation is a tripartite one, which involves the employers, labour unions and the government and they would not support the bill.
He stated further that, HuCaPAN has made its position known to the Labour Act Review Committee of the National Assembly through the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).
He disclosed that HuCaPAN has been engaging stakeholders including the labour centres – Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FML&E) and other key stakeholders to ensure that the bill is not included in our labour law.
Also, he said, the body has been engaging the media to enlighten the public on outsourcing and its benefits to the economy.
“As a responsible Association, we have given ourselves, a housekeeping guideline in addition to the Nigeria Code of Conduct for Private Employment Agencies. All member companies have been directed to ensure that HMO, Pension, and Group Life Insurance are taken into consideration in contract terms as well as circulation of the Code of Conduct for Private Employment Agencies in Nigeria to members and relevant stakeholders.”
Adegboyega said that HuCaPAN membership grew by Thirty Six (36) members in 2019, adding that based on the report of the Public Advocacy Committee established by HuCaPAN, the Private Employment Agencies in Nigeria now employs over Three Million (3,000,000) Nigerians of management and non-management cadre in Nigeria and abroad with the volume of fund in our industry risen to a tune of One Trillion and Four Hundred Billion Naira, N1,400,000,000,000.
The President said that that HuCaPAN would continue to partner with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, which the body recently supported with three the donation of three Desktops, two Laptops, one Printer and an Internet Modem with six (6) months’ subscription and other social partners to promote decent job for workers.
He said that the COVID-19 has affected every sector of the economy including the outsourcing industry urging members to however, take advantage of the new opportunities that the situation has provided.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Minister, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige who was represented by the Director of Employment and Wages, Mr. John Nyamali and the Director General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Forum (NECA), Dr. Timothy Olawale who was represented by Barrister Thompson Akpabio, Deputy Director, Legal, Regulatory and Taxation congratulated HuCaPAN for maintaining the standard that the industry requires.
Ngige appreciated HuCaPAN for the computers and office equipment donated to the ministry saying that they are currently being deployed to facilitate licensing of Private Employment Agencies in the country. He urged HuCaPAN to continue to partner with the ministry to weed out quacks in the industry.
He added that the labour laws are currently under review saying that the validation of the reviewed document is ongoing. He said that the issue of ban on international recruitment is being attended to at the ministry as the ministry has developed Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) and forwarded it to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Director General, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Dr. Timothy Olawale commended HuCaPAN for continuously organising capacity building programs for its members. He said “I commend HuCaPAN for continuous building of the capacity of its members especially, decentralizing its workshop to three locations which has improved participation and quality of the workshops.”
Members reappointed Bolu Adesina & Co. (Chartered Accountant) as Auditors.
