Hope For Workers As NASS Begins Work On ‘Living Wage’

Hope rises for Nigerian workers over the weekend, following  assurances of speedy legislative efforts aimed at jerking up the N18,000 ( $50) minimum wage currently paid the least Nigerian workers to something more appropriate, chairmen National Assembly joint committee on Labour, Senator Sulaiman Nazif and Hon. Onyewuchi Ezenwa have said.

Recall that workers in Nigeria have been collecting N18,000 as minimum monthly salary since July 2010 for which labour unions have repeatedly cried out for a review.

The assurance was given on Friday when they had in audience , leadership of the International Labour Organization ( ILO).

Both chairmen told ILO officials that as a way of providing for Nigerian workers, living wage, bill seeking for  review of the Nigeria Minimum Wage Act , has already passed second reading  in the House of Representatives , waiting for a public hearing to be conducted soonest where all stakeholders would make inputs.

Ezenwa who made specific reference to the bill in his submission said the effort of the National Assembly on the upward review of the minimum wage through amendment of the existing Act was due to the increased poverty level the N18, ,000 minimum wage has sunk Nigerians into.

“Though a tripartite committee has been set up by the executive for that purpose , but as representatives of the people, we are making moves ahead of what the committee will send to us .

“The least paid  Nigerian workers as far as the National Assembly is concerned, urgently deserved a living wage as against the poverty nourishing one ($50) per month ,   they have been collecting within the last eight years

“Whatever decision the House arrived at on the amendment bill would be forwarded to Senate for concurrence “, he said .

On his part, Senator Nazif assured the ILO officials that the Senate is on the same page with the House of Representatives on required review  of the  minimum wage act towards providing living wage for Nigerian workers.

He said, negotiations to that effect are already on going with relevant stakeholders aside the tripartite arrangement being carried out by the executive.

“What we want you to take home to the International Labour Community is that before this year runs out , amount for least paid Nigerian workers on monthly basis , would be far above the current $50“, he added.

The ILO officials led by Sofia Amaral De- Oliveira in their remarks urged government in Nigeria at all levels , to ensure payment of living wage to workers with attendant required welfare packages in terns of robust allowances.

They urged the National Assembly to help the labour unions in the country through legislations , to get rid of casualization  and other anti workers policies in the private sector.