The House of representatives yesterday mandated its committees on Labour, Employment and Productivity and Justice to investigate if all Oil and Gas Companies in the Country are abiding with or flouting Labour laws.
The Green Chamber also urged the Chevron Nigerian Limited to regularize the Vocational Training Program ( VTP) trainees undergoing training program to permanent staff.
The resolution of the House was sequel to the passage of a motion by Hon. Mayo was Akinfolarin (APC Ondo) with the title: “Need to stop the continued casualiazation of young Nigerians participating in the Chevron Nigeria Limited Vocational Training Program.”
The lawmaker while moving the motion said that the vocational Training program ( VTP) of Chevron Nigeria Limited is designed to train young Nigerians who are mostly from the Niger Delta and other geo- political zones of the country and later be converted to permanent staff after 18-24 months of training.
He said: “The VTP participants are selected based on merit after being successful in the assessment and interview stages and are trained as Process Operators/ Maintenance Technicians for Chevron Deep- water (Agbami) Offshore and Onshore facilities.
“The program has been going on since 2004 and Chevron has converted four sets of VPT Trainees, having been converted in January 2014 and the duration of the conventions of those casual staff VTP Trainees) to permanent staff ranges between one and half years to two and half years.
“The batches of 5 and 6 of the VTP trainees have been working for Chevron Nigeria Limited in the last four to five years without being converted to permanent staff, a situation that Chevron is taking undue advantage of by keeping the participants working under unpalatable conditions .”
He said the situation has left 101 VTP 5 trainees and the 50 VTP 6 trainees in limbo as they are neither permanent nor contract staff, since they receive benefits either as permanent or contract employees.
Akinfolarin said the action of Chevron contravenes section 17(a) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 which guarantees equal pay for equal work, and section 7(1) of the Labour Act, 2004 which provides that not later than three months after the beginning of a worker’s period of employment with an employer , the employer shall give the worker a written statement specifying the terms and conditions of the employment.
When the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara call for a vote on the motion, it was passed by a majority of members, but it was however decider that rather than only Chevron, the investigation should encompass the Oil and Gas sector in the country.