Senate, Women’s Group push for inclusion of domestic servants in National Minimum Wage

The Senate and the National Council for Women Society, on Monday, advocated for the inclusion of domestic servants in the proposed N70,000 National Minimum Wage Scheme.

This call was made during a public hearing on a bill seeking to domesticate and register domestic workers and employers in Nigeria.

Senator Osita Izunaso (APC, Imo West) led the charge, emphasizing that domestic workers, including housemaids and servants, should be entitled to the same minimum wage as public workers.

Izunaso said, “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 housemaid or servants, in the proposed N70,000 National Minimum wage law.

“As N70,000 is planned to be the lowest wage for the lowest public workers, so should be the case for the least domestic workers.

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“We will put it in the bill for implementation by all employers.”

He suggested that the bill be amended to include registration and protection for both domestic workers and their employers.

The public hearing, organized by the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, aimed to address the welfare and rights of domestic workers.

The proposed bill, sponsored by Senator Babangida Hussaini (APC, Jigawa North West), seeks to provide a legal framework for the domestication and registration of domestic workers and employers.

The inclusion of domestic servants in the National Minimum Wage Scheme would mark a significant step towards recognizing their rights and ensuring fair compensation for their labor.

However, the implementation of this provision would require careful consideration of the potential impact on employers and the broader labor market.

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