Senate Pledges To Adopt The New Minimum Wage Legislation Soon

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 of Plateau Central, 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.

"Efforts of the Federal Government and the Organized Labour for agreeing to set in motion, necessary machinery to review the current Minimum Wage in Nigeria as contained in the memorandum of understanding signed by the negotiating parties, are commendable.

"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 negotiation on the matter is concluded and such bill transmitted to the National Assembly for enactment," he said.

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

"Nigerians and particularly members of this committee, are happy that the then looming industrial unrest, was averted by memorandum of understanding entered into by the federal government, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC.

"However, all the parties involved, should avoid reneging on any of the agreement reached", he said.

The committee would take the appropriate legislative action to assist efforts to enhance the working circumstances of Nigerians, including the payment of a living wage as defined in the decent work agenda, he added. The committee is committed to the International Labour Organization's (ILO) principle of decent work.