Reps commence public hearing on new minimum wage bill

The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on the new minimum wage on Monday commenced a public hearing on the most anticipated amendment bill.

The ad-hoc committee headed by the deputy speaker, Yusuf Lasun, met at a conference room in the new building of the House.

In attendance were various interest groups and labour leaders.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter on Thursday, read to the lawmakers by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, urged the amendment of the National Minimum Wage Amendment Act 2011 to raise the minimum wage from N18,000 to N27,000.

A tripartite committee set up by the government recommended N30,000, but the Council of State on Tuesday accepted that figure for federal staff and recommended N27,000 for state and private sector workers.

The Nigeria Labour Congress rejected the N27,000. It insists on N30,000 for all workers.

Delivering his speech at Monday’s opening ceremony, Mr Dogara said the House had to give the bill an accelerated hearing because it was long overdue.

“There are obvious reasons why the House has to give accelerated consideration to this very crucial Bill. It is a Bill that is long overdue, as the current National Minimum Wage, which was fixed in 2011, has become unrealistic due to supervening developments in the nation.”

He said due to the upcoming general elections, the house has to go on break but it decided to conclude the public hearing as quickly as possible to enable the House to proceed with further legislative actions on it at its plenary on Tuesday.

“More importantly, the consideration and passage of this Bill are equally exigent because our country is at the brink of a national industrial crisis that we can least afford at this time.”

“Passions are extremely high within the entire Organised Labour on this issue. Even before the consideration of the Bill by Parliament, the Labour leaders have rejected the 27,000 Naira recommended to us by the Executive Arm as National Minimum Wage.”

“At the slightest opportunity, the entire workforce in the country could be called out by Labour leaders to resume the strike action that was recently put on hold without any further notice.”

He said the effect that such scenario can have on the ongoing electioneering process is better imagined than experienced, adding that the entire nation is waiting and looking up to the National Assembly to do the needful, with the promptitude it deserves.

“In view of the foregoing, the House is approaching this exercise with a very high sense of duty, responsibility and loyalty to our nation.”

The speaker assured the Nigerian workers that the National Assembly is aware of and shares in their pains, patience and sacrifices as regards the issue of the minimum wage.

“Majority of our members are on your side as you can judge from their contributions to the debate on the Bill on the floor of the House last Thursday.”

The House had on Thursday passed the bill for first and second reading after receiving it from the president.

The bill also passed the first and second readings at the Senate, hours after Mr Buhari transmitted the draft legislation to the lawmakers.