Bill for protection of informal workers scales 2nd reading in Senate

A bill seeking to regulate employment of domestic workers and other informal sector employees on Wednesday scaled second reading at the Senate.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Mohammed Sani (APC- Niger).

Presenting the bill, Sani said that it also sought to empower the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to monitor privately owned agencies who employ informal workers.

Sani said the operation in the informal sector was usually in small scale with labour intensive production and usually private ownership driven.

He said participation of Nigerian economy by the informal sector showed evidence of violation of employee rights and non-implementation of labour regulations.

“Informal sector in Nigeria has practice that are not in conformity to the International Labour Organisation (ILO)best practices as ratified in its convention, notwithstanding that Nigerian is signatory to this convention.

“There are still a lot of deficits in its implementation of these conventions, one of such area of concern relates to decent work deficit, decent work is work with fair and equal treatments, decent remuneration, and fair condition of employment, safety and social protection, opportunities for training and collective bargaining,” he said.

He said the primary role of the bill was to regulate the sector to promote strategic objectives, promotion of rights at work, employment, social protection and social dialogue.

He said on the contrary, many jobs in the informal labour market, still experience decent work deficit, adding that employees in the informal sector were often seen as having no right, and are not treated fairly by their employers.

According to him, the bill seeks to correct all the ills against the workers.

“This bill empowers the National Director of Employment (NDE)to issue licence and monitor the activities of employment agencies throughout the country.

“The NDE shall receive an application from an agency who desires to function as an employment agency and issue licence having met the requirements and duly certified to play by the rules.

“The certification include that there is no criminal case against such agency, that it maintains proper books of accounts among other rules.

Contributing, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi (APC- Niger) said it was also important to ensure that the bill has provision to protect employers as there have been instances where employees treated the employers unfairly.

Following approval of the bill for second reading, President of Senate Ahmad Lawan thereafter, referred it to Committee on Labour and Productivity for further legislative input.

The committee is expected to return back in four weeks.