N70,000 new minimum wage applies to all workers, including domestic staff – Akpabio

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced that the newly approved minimum wage will apply to all workers in both the public and private sectors, including maids and other domestic staff.

Akpabio made this announcement during the plenary session on Tuesday.

The bill was swiftly passed by both chambers of the National Assembly shortly after being submitted by President Bola Tinubu.

During the plenary, the Senate President said, “If you are a tailor and you employ additional hands, you cannot pay them below N70,000. If you are a mother with a newborn child and you want to hire a housemaid to look after your child, you cannot pay the person below the approved minimum wage. It is not a maximum wage. It applies to all and sundry.

“If you hire a driver or gateman, you cannot pay them below N70,000. So, I’m very delighted that this has been passed, and we now look forward to employers of labour improving on what has been set as a benchmark for all to follow.

“I congratulate the Nigeria Labour Congress, all Nigerians, and the National Assembly for this epoch-making legislation, which has even reduced the term of negotiations from five years to three years in view of the increasing cost of living. This is, again, a landmark legislation, so congratulations.”

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He then adjourned the session until September 17.

News Round The Clock reported that the Senate passed the 2024 National Minimum Wage Amendment Act Bill after President Bola Tinubu transmitted the new wage bill to both chambers of the National Assembly, requesting prompt support for its passage.

The new bill replaces the National Minimum Wage Act, No. 8, 2019, which set a N30,000 minimum wage with a five-year negotiation period.

The new legislation reduces the wage review period to three years.