TotalEnergies looks into Persons with Disabilities’ issues in labour recruitment

ToatalEnergies EP Uganda, Light for the World (LftW) officials take a group photo after signing an MOU in Kampala. (Photo credit: TotalEnergies EP Uganda).

In a bid to heighten efforts to fight any form of discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, (PWDs) during and after the recruitment of employees, TotalEnergies EP Uganda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Light for the World (LftW).

In a presser, the Tilenga oil Project developer said the two-year MOU will enhance equal, inclusive, and diverse employment for all qualified persons and affirmative action for Persons with Disabilities.

Under the MoU, LftW a global disability inclusion and development organization, will support TotalEnergies EP Uganda’s internal disability inclusion frameworks and access of Persons with disabilities to various employment opportunities as well as deliver bespoke disability awareness training to the Company employees.

The MoU is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) theme ‘Leave no one behind,’ as well as SDG 8 ‘Reduced inequality’ and 10 ‘Decent work and economic growth’.

Through the implementation of the MoU activities, TotalEnergies EP Uganda seeks to amplify one of its key diversity actions ‘the recognition of abilities’.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU, Mr. Phillipe Groueix, General Manager, TotalEnergies EP Uganda, said “Including and supporting employees with disabilities is an integral part of our diversity policy. As we grow our activities in Uganda, we are ensuring that our commitment to diversity is implemented as it draws on our intrinsic values of Respect for Each Other and Standing Together.”

“With this partnership, we hope to demonstrate our concrete actions towards ensuring that our Company is all-inclusive, respects the rights of persons with disabilities, develops and implements non-discriminatory policies and practices, makes the Company premises and tools accessible, undertakes appropriate measures to enable job retention, and respects the confidentiality of personal information regarding disability.” He added.

The Country Director, LFTW Silvester Kasozi noted, “Promoting disability inclusion within the extractives’ sector isn’t just a matter of diversity; it’s an imperative for progress and doing what is right”.

TotalEnergies is a signatory of the International Labour Organization’s Disability Charter and a member of its global network that works to improve disability inclusion policies and practices.

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Kazi-Njema News has on many occasions quoted Ms Edith Barungi, the Chairperson for Persons with Disabilities in  Kikuube district asking the key oil sector players to consider organizing frequent engagements with PWDs to ensure that their interests in the oil industry are given special attention.

This MOU might partly answer her call.

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