President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday signed the long awaited Minimum Wage Bill into law.
The new Bill which was passed in March and transmitted to the President on March 27th , 2019, is expected to increase Federal government wage bill by N160b, which is expected to take care of arrears of promotions and severance benefits
Already, the federal government budgeted N4.04 trillion as recurrent expenditure in the 2019, as against N2.03tn for capital expenditure, while debt servicing will take N2.14tn.
Workers in the Federal Capital Territory FCT had recently embarked on a protest to drive home their demands for the Bill to be signed into law
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters ( Senate) , Ita Enang while briefing State House Correspondents after the epoch making ceremony at the Presidential Villa, on Thursday, reiterated that this makes it compulsory for organizations employing more than 25 workers to pay the new Minimum Wage.
“You can see me smiling on behalf of Nigerian workers. President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the Minimum Wage Repel and Enactment Act 2019.
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“This makes it compulsory for all employers of labour in Nigeria to pay to their workers the sum of N30,000. And this excludes persons who are employing less than 25 workers, persons who work in a ship which sails out of jurisdiction and other persons who are in other kinds of regulated employment which are accepted by the Act.
“It also gives the workers the right if you are compelled by any circumstance to accept salary that is less than N30,000, to sue your employer to recover the balance
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The new law also authorizes the “Minister of Labour and Employment or any person nominated by the Minister or any person designated by the Minister in any ministry, department or agency to on your behalf take action in your name against such employer to recover the balance of your wages.”
“It also ensures and mandates National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission and the Minister or Labour, to be the chief and principal enforcers of the provisions of this law. “
The law, he said, “applies to all agencies, persons and bodies throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The Act also comes is effective from the day it is signed , from the 18th of April, 2019.
“It has been assented to today and it takes effect today, except such other provisions as are contained in the Act. But the enforcement and the right to start the implementation of the provisions commences today (Thursday), including such steps that are to be taken gradually under the provisions of the Act.”
On what is expected of the workers, the presidential aide said, “I want Nigerian workers to celebrate President Muhammadu Buhari, to support this administration, support his policies and of course we will as a government go out and match together along with Nigerian workers on workers day.
“Mr. President will celebrate with workers and the federal government will celebrate. This is Mr. President showing workers the love he has for them and we are matching as we will match with the Nigerian workers.”
Asked if it the new minimum wage covers the National Youth Service Corps, Enang said, “It covers all persons covered by the Act.”
