Oil and gas sector recruitment: New policy proposes end to quota system

Senior officers will have to give interviews and take tests for promotion.

ISLAMABAD:

The Ministry of Petroleum is going to introduce a new uniform recruitment and promotion policy in public sector oil and gas companies, which may give birth to a controversy between employees and management.

Under the policy, senior officers of the companies will have to give interviews and take tests to qualify for promotion, but this may prompt the employees to file cases in courts after failing to get due promotion.

A think tank, formed by the petroleum ministry, had proposed the new recruitment and promotion policy. It also made another controversial proposal, seeking an end to the quota system and making appointments on merit at senior levels, but provinces would fiercely oppose the move as they were the ones which were producing oil and gas to meet the country’s needs, sources said.

Balochistan has already been raising concerns over discrimination in appointments in oil and gas producing companies.

The policy is being introduced at a time when promotions of several senior officers have become due.

Employees of oil and gas companies, while talking to The Express Tribune, expressed fears that the petroleum ministry was planning to recruit and promote people of its choice.

“The new policy will block promotions of many senior employees, who will challenge it in courts, sparking a row with the top management, which will affect performance of the companies already plagued by circular debt,” a company employee said.

When asked about the resentment among company employees and among provinces over the new policy, Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain did not give a direct reply, but said the policy was being introduced to ensure transparency in promotion and recruitment of employees in all public sector oil and gas companies.

“New recruitments will be made through advertisements and promotion will be given after conducting tests and interviews of employees,” he added.

In a recent meeting, Pakistan State Oil’s board of management ratified the new recruitment and promotion policy.

According to a statement issued by PSO, the policy which is slated for immediate implementation is designed to increase productivity and quality of manpower. It will also help streamline promotion processes in companies which fall under the umbrella of the petroleum ministry.

It said the guidelines outlined in the policy were in line with international best practices and were designed to ensure a merit-based and transparent system for all employment-related matters. They also specified a uniform procedure for selection and appointment of board members as well as laid down a common hierarchy pyramid which would greatly help simplify service structures.

PSO said it was in the process of implementing the policy and was working to further improve human resource standards.

Reacting to the approval of the policy, several officers of the company seemed to be upset and feared that they could be deprived of their due promotions.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2011.