Senate moves to amend Labour Act, reviews fines upward

The Nigerian Senate has resolved to amend the Labour Act to provide stiffer penalties for various offences ranging from modern slavery, child Labour to discrimination against women in the workplace.

The amendment to the Labour law seeks to introduce stiffer penalties to punish employers who deny female employees maternity protection and discriminate against women during employment to fill positions in underground work or mines.

The bill after scaling second reading was referred by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan to the Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity for further legislative work. The Committee which is Chaired by Senator Abdullahi Kabir Barkiya is expected to report back to the Senate within four (4) weeks.

The sponsor of the bill Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi told the House that the sanction, penalty, and interest payable under the Act are low and do not reflect current economic realities.

He further said the current provisions cannot provide the needed protection for workers in the labour market and there is a need to review these penalties upwards to achieve fair and harmonious employee relations.

According to the details of the bill, Section 21 proposed a fine of N500,000 and N1,000,000 from the present fine of N800 and N500 for first and second offences relating to “Breach of terms and conditions of employment”, as it relates to the wage-hour, nature of employment, leave, contracts of employment, among others.

The fines for employers who deny maternity protection for female workers and the employment of women in underground work or mines have been reviewed from N200 to N200,000.

Employment of young persons in unreasonable circumstances will now attract a fine of N200,000 as against the present fine of N100.

A Bill for an Act to amend the Labour Act Cap L1, LFN, 2004, to review Labour Fines upward and for other related matters, 2021 (SB. 469) is read the Second Time and referred to the Committee on Labour and Productivity to report back within four weeks. #TodayInSenatepPlenary

— The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) March 16, 2021

Zainab Sa’id