FG, States Tasked On Blue Collar Jobs

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Owolabi Salis, has urged governments at all levels to provide the enabling environment for ‘blue-collar jobs’ in the country.

Salis, a lawyer, said in Lagos that there should be a massive development of infrastructure at local, state and federal levels.

He said that such development would help to create the much-needed blue-collar jobs for youths and the elderly.

“White collar jobs for professionals, managers and other category of office workers should be balanced with blue-collar jobs.

“Blue collar workers who do physical jobs should be engaged by contractors, local or foreign, as part of efforts to ensure the growth of our construction industry, in addition to reducing the unemployment rate,’’ he said.

“Blue collar workers can actually earn more money than those in white collar occupations and this will help to restore security and peace in the country,’’ Salis said.

According to Salis, the service industry and other allied industry like farms are the fulcrum on which the country’s development rotates.

He said: “There is need to pursue strategic and sustainable capital development implementation to create massive jobs across the country.

The politician said it was noteworthy that the Federal Government’s 2013 budget gave more priority to capital projects, than recurrent expenditure.

“Labourers and unskilled workers are more and there is a need to engage them gainfully,’’ he told newsmen.

Salis advised that the Federal Government’s Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (Sure-P) should expand its intervention to include artisans and service workers.

“Sure-P is a good initiative of government; it should also provide a safety net for artisans such as motor mechanics, vulcanisers, painters and refrigerator repairers, who are not graduates.