On July 23, di senate and house of representatives pass di new minimum wage bill.
The bill bin pass first, second and third readings — inside one hour — for di upper and lower legislative chambers.
Di legislation correct two main issues for di National Minimum Wage Act 2019, dem increase di minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 and dem reduce di time wey dem go take review am from five to three years.
As e dey tok for plenary afta dem pass di bill, Godswill Akpabio, di senate president, claim sey Nigerians no suppose pay any domestic worker below N70,000.
“Di bill tok sey if you be tailor and you wan employ anoda pesin, you no fit pay dat pesin below N70,000. If you be mama wey just born and you wan bring pesin wey go dey help you look your pikin, you no fit pay dat pesin less dan N70,000,” na so Akpabio tok.
“No be maximum wage. E reach evribodi. If you cari driver, if you cari gateman — you no suppose pay di gateman below N70,000. So, di tin sweet me sey we don pass am and we dey cari eye put ontop employers of labour, make dem improve wetin don dey as di benchmark for evribodi to follow.
“I congratulate di Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), I congratulate all Nigerians, and I congratulate di senate and di national assembly in general for dis beta law wey don reduce di time wey we go negotiate new minimum wage from five years to three years as food don dey cost. E dey necessary make we dey review am evri three years instead of five years.”
Di tin wey Akapbio tok cause plenti reactions for social media, especially X, as some pipu come dey question im claim.
“Na joke of di highest order be dis. You go like check some of di minimum wage laws,” na so Tohluh Briggs tok for di comment section.
“Really? Wetin hapun? Wetin change?” na so Philemon Kuza ask.
VIDEO: Nigerians can no longer pay domestic workers below N70k monthly, says Akpabio pic.twitter.com/hyZPutu0EY
— TheCable (@thecableng) July 24, 2024
WETIN BE MINIMUM WAGE?
Minimum wage na di least amount wey employers suppose pay dia employees. Di National Minimum Wage Act establish am to ensure sey workers earn basic standard of living and to prevent unfair treatment.
Di current minimum wage for di kontri na N30,000 per month. Before, dem bin dey review am rate evri five years sake of changes for living costs and economic conditions. Di last time wey dem bin review am na for 2019 during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
On June 3, Nigeria economy bin pause as labour unions bin hold nationwide strike ova di wage dispute.
Di Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) bin first ask for N494,000, sake of inflation and worsening economic conditions.
After negotiations with federal govment representatives, di unions come bring down dia demand come N250,000.
On July 11, President Bola Tinubu meet wit labour leaders over di mata.
After further negotiations on July 18, di unions come gree to di N70,000 wey di president propose.
WETIN WE CHECK FOR AKPABIO CLAIM
To confam Akpabio claim, TheCable review di National Minimum Wage Act 2019 to check who dey obligated to pay di minimum wage and who no suppose pay.
Section 3 (1) of di act tok sey evri employer suppose pay di national minimum wage to evri worker for dia kompani.
According to di law, any agreement for di payment of wages less dan di national minimum wage no dey accepted.
But exceptions dey.
Section 4 of di act tok sey di minimum wage requirement no apply to employers wey get less dan 25 employees.
According to di law, any kompani wit di following employees dey exempted from di minimum wage:
(a) part-time basis,
(b) commission or piece-rate;
(c) establishment wit less dan 25 pesins;
(d) workers for seasonal employment like agriculture; and
(e) any pesin wey dem employ for vessel or aircraft wey laws for regulating merchant shipping or civil aviation apply already don dey.
FINAL TOK
Based on di National Minimum Wage Act 2019, di claim wey Akpabio make wey tok sey any employer wey hire maid or gateman go pay N70,000 minimum wage no correct.
Di law tok sey na employers wey get more dan 25 workers suppose pay di minimum wage.
