Labour Laws Our Senators Are Not Making

Ohikhuare Isuku

                                    

There are so many laws crying to be born, but unfortunately, their shrilling voices have been made hollow by the flippant attitude displayed by our ‘hallowed’ Senators and Members of the Federal House of Representatives. Lately, it has become worrisome, the frequent recesses they grant themselves after a few plenaries. Some of them do not even border to attend these plenaries in the first place.

Truth be told, Nigerian Senators are among the highest paid in the world. Monthly benefit paid per senator runs into several millions; what a Nigerian teacher cannot earn throughout his or her thirty-five years in service. This is excluding the constitutional allowances they receive quarterly; huge amount of funds which they push down their deep bowels.

In 2014, a former Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, said that out of the about four trillion naira budget passed for that fiscal year, one trillion would be spent on the National Assembly, in the form of Lawmakers' salaries and allowances, District and Constituency project allowances and other overhead expenses linked to the National Assembly.

It is disheartening to know that in spite of this huge amount of money spent on our National Assembly, there are few credible bills passed into laws in both the upper and lower chambers, within a period of four years. Instead, ridiculous bills are discussed with so much impunity. For instance, there was once a paid sitting, where our ‘revered’ Senators held a plenary just to pass a bill to immortalize their names after they have relinquished power. For Christ’s sake, of what importance is this bill to the common man? For this plenary, were they not paid from the public purse? This is quite incredulous!

There are so many laws (especially labour laws) that should have a far reaching and positive impact on the general public if they are made and thereafter enforced. Take for instance, the minimum wage paid to workers across the country. Officially, it is 18000 naira at present. This law is flouted freely across the country by so many employers, both foreign and indigenous.

Many companies in the country (especially those owned by Lebanese and Indians) exploit downtrodden Nigerians in spite of the huge amount of profit they get yearly. At present, factory labourers earn at most 19000 naira, despite the fact that they work assiduously from dawn to dusk. They are left with no choice other than to accept the slave offer. This is modern slavery! What would it take for the National Assembly to pass a bill aimed at doubling the current meagre wage practicable at present?

As a result of the harsh economic downturn currently ravaging the nation (the worst in decades), Nigerian low income earners are roasting away in searing silence. Effective minimum wage laws should be amended, and as these laws are being formulated, simultaneous laws should be enacted to check that the prices of the commodities produced by these companies are not hiked and the number of workers for a particular job is not slashed.

Another Labour law worthy of enactment is the internship law. Interns from Nigerian higher institutions find it stressful all year round, getting placements for which they would be graded at the end of the internship periods. There are quite a number of companies in the country, but they are notorious for not accepting interns even if they apply. Well, a very few of them accept, but these interns are always from their circle of familiarity.

Based on this problem, an effective law should come from our National Assembly, geared towards mandating companies to pick a certain number of interns, depending on the size of the company. This law should be vehemently enforced without fear or favour.