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Senate mulls payment of minimum wage to domestic workers

Sulaiman Umar
28 Jul, 2024
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Abuse, assault and neglect of domestic workers in the country may soon come to an end as the Senate on Monday advanced legislative process of enacting a law that will give reprieve to and protect domestic staff.

This is as a “Bill for an Act to provide for the documentation and protection of domestic workers and employers and for other connected therewith 2024 (SB 272)” was favourable considered at a public hearing organized by the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity.

Critical stakeholders including the National Council for Women Society (NCWS) agreed that domestic workers in Nigeria should be included in the proposed N70,000 National Minimum Wage Scheme.

Sponsor of the bill, by Senator Babangida Hussaini ( APC Jigawa North West) , said that several hundreds of thousands families depend on domestic staff for their house chores but care less for detailed information about staff in their homes.

He lamented that there have been numerous cases of house helps committing dastard criminal offences against their employers and escaped without traces due to lack of proper documentation.

Senator Hussain added that likewise were many house helps suffered abuses of all sorts including sexual abuse, maltreatment and neglect in their places of employment.

He said the passage of the bill will open up the economy as agencies will be properly registered with government agencies that can provide adequate information about domestic staff and their employers.

Senator Osita izunaso ( APC Imo West) , while raising concern the domestic workers be included in the national minimum wage scheme said ” as a member of this committee , I feel strongly that part of the provisions to be included in this bill , is to include the domestic workers be it house maid or servants , in the proposed N70, 000 National Minimum wage law .

” As N70, 000 is being planned to be the least wage for the lowest public workers , so should be the case for least domestic workers.

” We are going to put it in the bill for implementation by all employers ” .

He however suggested that instead of domestication and protection of domestic workers and employers , the intendment of the bill should be changed to registration and protection of domestic workers and their employers .

Acting National President of NCWS, Mrs Geraldeen Etuk , also supported the inclusion of domestic servants in the proposed National Minimum Wage law .

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Samaila Mamma said the bill is important because domestic workers constitute a significant percentage of the global workforce.

He listed unfortunate fate suffered by domestic workers to include “low wages, physical assault, sexual abuse, denial to education and other privileges as well as forced labour”.

The Permanent Secretary said “they deserve protection in line with international declarations on labour law.

Declaring the public hearing open on behalf of the Senate President, Senator Binos Yaroe frowned at vices associated with domestic staff engagement in the country such as neglect, non- payment of wages and dues,molestation, etc.

He said the piece of legislation is apt because “the rights of these vulnerable members of the society must be protected”.

Earlier in his remarks during the session , the Chairman of the Committee , Senator Diket Plang , said an agency will surely be set up for implementation of the proposed law, but the Ministry of Labour and Productivity , will drive the operation from the onset .

culled from Daily Times Nigeria