Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Nigie has commended the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), led by Mr Olusegun Oshinowo, for its efforts aimed at implementing the Employee Compensation Act towards the promotion of occupational health and safety in the workplace.
The minister gave the commendation while speaking at the NECA/NSITF Safe Work Intervention Project Year Awards Ceremony and Problem Solving Clinic on the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Employees’ Compensation Act, 2010, consisting of various intervention programmes, is being implemented by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), in partnership with NECA towards making the workplace safer for for employees and reduce their exposure to risks.
Ngige however appealed to NECA to do more in the area of coverage as many companies yet to key into the scheme, even as he charged NSITF to partner with governments across the state in encouraging public servants to participate in the social insurance scheme targeted at workers.
In his speech, the Director General of NECA, Mr Olusegun Oshinowo, restated the need for social dialogue as a means of collaboration since, according to him, the social partners (government, employers and labour) were all stakeholders in the successful implementation of the employees’ Compensation Act which regulates NSITF.
He also said doing this would enable NSITF to effectively deliver on its mandate, even as he revealed that the success of the project, which commenced in 2010, had been as a result of the strengthened social dialogue between both parties in employer-employee relations.
The NECA DG presented awards to outstanding individuals and companies during the event.
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