Minimum Wage: Senate, NCWS, seek inclusion of domestic servants
The Senate and the National Council for Women Society (NCWS) are pushing to have domestic servants included in the proposed N70,000 National Minimum Wage Scheme.
This call for inclusion was made at the National Assembly during a public hearing on a bill aiming to regulate domestic workers and their employers in Nigeria.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Babangida Hussaini (APC Jigawa North West), was discussed at the public hearing organized by the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour, and Productivity chaired by Senator Diket Plang (APC Plateau Central).
During the hearing, Senator Osita Izunaso (APC Imo West) specifically advocated for the inclusion of domestic servants in the National Minimum Wage Scheme.
“We will ensure that this bill includes provisions for domestic workers, such as housemaids and servants, and it will be mandatory for all employers to implement this wage.” He added.
Senator Izunaso proposed that the bill focus on the registration and protection of domestic workers and their employers instead of domestication.
Similarly, Geraldine Etuk, the Acting National President of NCWS, supported the idea of including domestic servants in the National Minimum Wage law.
Senator Babangida Hussaini expressed gratitude for the broad support the bill received from stakeholders, including the Minister of Labour.
However, he noted a practical concern regarding the implementation of including domestic workers in the national minimum wage.
On his part, Senator Diket Plang said an agency would be established to enforce the new law, with the Ministry of Labour and Productivity spearheading the operational aspects from the beginning.
On Friday, July 20, 2024, the Federal Government said it was planning to allocate N3 trillion towards the implementation of the new minimum wage as well as the payment of pensions and gratuities.
The decision followed President Bola Tinubu’s recent approval of a new minimum wage of N70,000 for Nigerian workers, announced after consultations with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Zaccheaus Babalola
