In Tunisia due to high levels of unemployment and high employment expectations post Arab Spring IOCs faced a number of issues restricting operations. OMV faced strikes, threats of strikes at drilling sites, a thirty-day shut down caused by a labour sit-in at one of the organisations production sites, the establishment of multiple labour unions and slower decision making at the government level.
In an effort to maximise local content and retain industry knowledge in North Africa, OMV is currently running specific development programmes.
Dr. Latin, stated: “We have set up an OMV graduate Academy and are in the conceptual stage of establishing the OMV/Moutanuniversitat Leoben Scholarship Program to focus on job creation by increasing educational and training initiatives. In Tunisia OMV will launch an Auto-Maintenance Shop after Ramadan and is conceptualising a Waste Recycling Business to develop local content through capability building and financial support. Furthermore OMV Tunisia is actively researching how to help the State of Tatouine in South Tunisia to build skills through vocational training and an apprenticeship system targeting 15 – 18 year olds and focus on basic electrical, mechanical, English, IT and HSSE skills.”
OMV has ambitious business plans in the North Africa region. The IOC has a major investment programme in Tunisia, which provides strategic gas infrastructure and critical revenues for its Tunisian stakeholders in the next two to three years, and is a source of significant volume growth for OMV.
Around 10 per cent of the organisation’s current global production comes from Libya where they remain a committed partner with plans to grow their business over the next five years. In addition, OMV is also actively evaluating opportunities in other North African countries.
OMV is the lead sponsor for North Africa Oil and Gas Summit 2012 which will take place in Vienna, Austria from 6 – 8 November 2012. The conference will bring together a plethora of speakers from world renowned IOCs and NOCs to learn how the region is evolving and the latest developments in the Oil and Gas industry. In addition, attendees will have access to first-hand information from key industry speakers during interactive panels and opportunities to attend country specific roundtables.