Contrary to reports that the Federal Government proposed a new minimum wage of N27,000 for state government workers and the private sector as well as N30,000 monthly for federal workers, the Senate on Thursday clarified that the government proposed N27,000 minimum wage for workers across board.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu made the clarification during the Second Reading of the New Minimum Wage Bill.
He pointed out that the bill forwarded by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly proposed N27,000 for both federal and state workers.
This comes as the upper legislative chamber constituted an eight-man committee to work on the bill.
The committee which is chaired by Senate Chief Whip, Sola Adeyeye (APC, Osun State) has two weeks to submit its report.
In a rare move, the Senate suspended its standing rules and immediately commenced the First, Second Reading of the bill and after which it was committed to an ad-hoc committee for further legislative work, all at one sitting.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, noted that the Senate decided to give the National Minimum Wage Bill presented to it by the President, accelerated consideration due to its importance.
He, however, objected to a clause in the bill, which exempted the proposed new minimum wage to establishments employing less than 25 workers.
Speaking after the bill passed Second Reading, he said: “The other issue of concern to me is the exemption to organisations employing less than 25 persons. So, if that scales through, and I hope it does not, it means that a whole number of our workers will be outside the minimum wage bracket. That includes our domestic servants because I am not aware of how many people are employing 25 domestic servants. That include drivers and so many other people.
“In most other countries, minimum wage applies across board whether you are employing one person or one million people. But these are things, I believe during the public hearing, we will find a way of settling”.
Other members of the Committee are: Abu Ibrahim (representing Committee on Labour), Shehu Sani (representing North West), Sam Egwu (South East), Suleiman Adokwe (North Central), Francis Alimikhena (South South), Solomon Adeola (South West) and Binta Garba Masi (North East).
In their separate contributions during the debate, senators like Shehu Sani, Sam Anyanwu, submitted that the proposal should be increased to N30,000 monthly.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the National Council of State had approved the new minimum wage N27,000 for state government workers and the private sector as well as N30,000 for the federal workers and mandated the President to forward executive bill to the National Assembly.
The development comes as the Senate adjourned plenary to February 19, 2019, without considering the N8.83 trillion 2019 budget.
Ekweremadu, who made the announcement at plenary on Thursday, revealed that sitting would resume three days after the forthcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections, billed for February 16, 2019.
