Senate, NCWS, want private individuals hiring domestic staff to pay N70,000 minimum wage

Private individuals hiring domestic staff in Nigeria will pay a minimum wage of N70,000, if the advocacy by the Nigerian Senate and the National Council of Women Society were anything to go by.

The Senate and the National Council of Women Society, NCWS on Monday called for inclusion of domestic staff in the proposed minimum wage by the Federal Government in the bill currently receiving attention at the National Assembly.

Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity chaired by Senator Diket Plang organized a public hearing on a bill seeking for an Act to provide for Domestication and Registration of domestic workers and Employers in Nigeria.

The public hearing on the bill was sponsored by Senator Babangida Hussaini representing Jigawa North West Senatorial District.

Senate’s call for inclusion of domestic servants in the National Minimum Wage Scheme, specifically came from Senator Osita izunaso representing Imo West, during his remarks at the public hearing.

He 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.

In a similar call , the Acting National President of NCWS, Mrs Geraldeen Etuk , argued for inclusion of domestic servants in the proposed National Minimum Wage law .

However during interview at the sideline of the event, the sponsor of the bill, Senator Babangida Hussaini said though he was elated by the general support the bill got from the various stakeholders, from the Minister of Labour to other relevant stakeholders but practical implementation of the additional scope of inclusion of domestic workers in the national minimum wage is what is somewhat doubtful.

“There is no point making a law that cannot be implemented but I’m happy that the generality of stakeholders at the public hearing, supported the bill and by extension, the proposed law.

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..