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N27,000 minimum wage Bill passes through second reading at Senate

Published

5 years ago

January 24, 2019

Olu Emmanuel

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The Senate has passed the N27,000 National Minimum Wage Amendment Bill through the crucial second reading.

The lawmakers passed the bill on Thursday during plenary following the suspension of the Senate rules.

The bill was put through first and second reading simultaneously.

During the debate, the lawmakers supported the bill and were confident that it would improve the standard of living for workers in the country.

They called on the state governments to look inwards on how to actualise the new minimum wage by cutting frivolous expenses and improving revenue generation.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, presided over the plenary.

He disclosed that contrary to reports, the minimum wage proposal sent to the National Assembly was N27,000 for both Federal and state workers.

Senator Ekweremadu, however, faulted the part of the proposal which exempted organisations which employ less than 25 people from paying the new minimum wage.

He decried that the exemption would exclude many low-income earners who work in small organisations from benefitting from the new minimum wage.