If this request is considered and implemented, this would mean that domestic staff will be paid 70k minimum wage monthly.
A call has been made for the inclusion of domestic servants as beneficiaries in the N70,000 newly announced national minimum wage.
This call was made by Senator Osita Izunaso (APC, Imo West), on Monday during a public hearing on a bill seeking to document and protect domestic workers and employers in Nigeria.
Other stakeholders present at the public hearing including the National Council for Women Society (NCWS) unanimously agreed for inclusion of domestic servants in the proposed N70,000 national minimum wage scheme.
The public hearing on the bill sponsored by Senator Babangida Hussaini (APC, Jigawa North West), was organised by the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity chaired by Senator Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central).
OrderPaper recalls that on May 8th, 2024, the Senate considered the second reading of a bill to ensure security of domestic workers and employers against assault, abuse and killings. Following the second reading, the Senate referred the bill to the Committee on Labour and Productivity to report back un 4 weeks.
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Speaking during the public hearing, Senator Izunaso, proposed changing the bill’s objective to register and protect domestic workers and their employers, rather than domestication and protection of domestic workers and employers.
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.”
In a similar argument, the Acting National President of NCWS, Geraldeen Etuk, called for the inclusion of domestic workers in the proposed National Minimum Wage legislation.
During a side interview after the event, the bill’s sponsor, Senator Babangida Hussaini, expressed his excitement about the bill’s broad support from a variety of stakeholders, including the Minister of Labour and other pertinent parties, but expressed some doubt about the practical implementation of the bill’s expanded scope of including domestic workers in the national minimum wage.
He said, “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.
A member of the Committee, Senator Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East) also called for two new clauses to be added to the bill. According to him, one would be to ensure that domestic staff are elevated where necessary in order to grow and acquire better skills. He also urged that there should be a clause against molestation and abuse of domestic staff.
In his response, the Committee Chairman, Senator Diket Plang said, “If you look at the bill, there are already sanctions for offenders.”
Earlier in his remarks during the session, he said an agency will be set up for implementation of the proposed law, but the Ministry of Labour and Productivity will drive the operation from the onset.
STAR Check: Nigerians, particularly, constituents of Imo West district, can keep tabs on the legislative performance of Sen. Izunaso throughout the 10th senate here.
