Senate, NCWS Push for Inclusion of Domestic Servants in National Minimum Wage Scheme

In a recent public hearing held by the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour, and Productivity, there was a call for the inclusion of domestic servants in the proposed 70,000 naira National Minimum Wage Scheme.

This proposal was discussed during deliberations on a bill aimed at providing for the domestication and registration of domestic workers and their employers in Nigeria.

Senator Osita Izunaso, who represents Imo West, and Geraldeen Etuk, the Acting National President of the National Council for Women Society (NCWS), were among the prominent voices advocating for this inclusion.

They argued that domestic workers, including housemaids and servants, should be covered by the new National Minimum Wage law.

“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 housemaids or servants, in the proposed N70,000 National Minimum Wage Law,” Senator Izunaso stated.

He further emphasised, “As N70,000 is being planned to be the lowest wage for the lowest public workers, so should be the case for the least domestic workers. We are going to put it in the bill for implementation by all employers.”

Also, Senator Diket Plang, Chairman of the Committee, noted that an agency will be established to oversee the implementation of the proposed law.

The Ministry of Labour and Productivity will drive the operations of this new agency.