Senate pledges to adopt the new minimum wage legislation quickly

The Senate promised on Friday that it would swiftly study the anticipated new minimum wage bill from the executive branch of government for enhanced worker welfare and national industrial harmony.

Senator Diket Plang, APC, of Plateau Central, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour, and Productivity, revealed this in a statement.

Plang informed Nigerians in the statement that the 10th Senate, and consequently, the 10th National Assembly, is dedicated to enhancing the standard of living for workers in the nation.

The Federal Government and Organised Labour should be commended for their efforts in reaching an agreement to start the machinery needed to evaluate the present Minimum Wage in Nigeria as stated in the memorandum of understanding they signed.

“The Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity under my chairmanship, is prepared to give expeditious attention to the passage of a new Act, once negotiations on the matter are concluded and such bill is transmitted to the National Assembly for enactment,” he stated.

The senator praised the Federal Government for taking aggressive measures to stop workers from going on a statewide strike last Tuesday but cautioned all parties concerned not to break their promises.

“Nigerians, especially the members of this committee, are grateful that a memorandum of understanding between the federal government, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, prevented the then-imminent industrial turmoil.

However, he emphasised that all parties concerned should refrain from breaking any of the agreements made.

The committee, he continued, is dedicated to the decent work agenda set forth by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and will take the appropriate legislative action to support efforts to enhance Nigerians’ working circumstances, including the payment of a living wage.