Most
of the Yadana project workers were Myanmar nationals. Eighty-eight
percent of the people who helped build the pipeline (2,200
people out of 2,500) and 95% of the 800 employees currently working
for Total E&P Myanmar and its subcontractors were hired locally. The high proportion of local
recruits is the result of an extensive training program.
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Construction of the onshore
portion required vehicle and machine operators, welders,
mechanics, maintenance technicians, people expert in
a variety of construction and engineering-related trades,
administrative staff, supervisors and security guards.
Total and its subcontractors provided the requisite training
to ensure that the workforce would be able to satisfy
the time, quality and safety requirements of the project.
Employees acquired skills in a broad array of complex
techniques, and local subcontractors, as well as local
partner MOGE, gained valuable experience. Construction
of the offshore complex yielded similar benefits. |
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During the construction
phase, Total selected around 100 Myanmar technicians
and engineers to operate the production facilities and
pipeline. They underwent 18 months to two years of training
at Total centers and subsidiaries at a cost of US$10
million. While the training was essential to the project's
success, it also gave local managers an opportunity to
expand their horizons and meet many of their foreign
peers, thereby contributing, albeit modestly, to
the opening up of Myanmar society. |
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MOGE, which directly operates
some of the country's oil and gas reserves, benefited
from its partnership with Total by gaining new experience
and access to cutting-edge technology and modern management
methods. Open professional dialogue between a responsible
multinational corporation and a local oil company, rooted
in mutual respect, inevitably fuels progress. |
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Introductory
computer class |
Multinationals can bring manifold advantages to a developing
country, including technology transfer, opportunities for personal
development, and exposure to new ideas. Based on their
strict adherence to international standards, multinationals
can have a favorable impact on local working conditions, environmental
issues and safety practices. Although the oil industry is extremely
capital intensive and creates proportionally fewer jobs than
other industries such as textiles and hospitality, the fact
that it uses contract-based employment, pays salaries that
are significantly higher than local wages, provides medical
and retirement benefits, and applies strict health and safety
rules can induce positive changes in local practices.
