The Employers? Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria (EAPEAN) has called on the National Assembly to clarify the ongoing national minimum wage issue to debacle to avoid ambiguity.

Dr. Femi Ogunlowo, President of EAPEAN, emphasised the importance of this clarification to avoid potential pitfalls, noting that what is currently paid in Nigeria is classified as salary, not wages.

He made the remarks during the association?s 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM).

He said: ?We always like that there is no ambiguity in law. What we call wage in Nigeria is salary because wage is paid hourly or daily. So, for clarity, the proposed N70,000 is the minimum monthly salary and not a wage, otherwise, we will be in trouble because employers will have to pay N70,000 hourly. So it is expedient to understand the clear distinction.

?We also need to know if it is gross or net. All of these have to be explicit, otherwise it will bring confusion. We are thus asking these questions so that those in charge can draft the law appropriately.?

Ogunlowo also noted that the association?s new status as a trade union confers on it the ability to bargain and promote decent work for Nigerians.

?With this status, we can advocate on behalf of all employers to ensure that the terms of employment are in line with the law, and conform to international best practice,? he added.

In efforts to eliminate casualisation in the workplace, Ogunlowo said it was necessary to understand the dynamics of recruitment which could warrant an employer to hire temporary workers.

He added: ?Casualisation is where there is no structure to employment; we frown at this and our members do not participate or engage in casualisation. However, there could be surges in employment needs. For instance, there could be a need to hire people for a three-week event. In this case, you will need security personnel, waiters, and the like, so you employ them on a short-term basis, for the period of the event. This is different from casualisation.?

Since the EAPEAN?s 12th AGM in 2023, 29 new members have joined the association.

?We will keep fighting to get more people into the fold because the more members we have in our fold, the more the assurances of decent work for Nigerians because those who subscribe to our association are those who want to give decent work to Nigerians,? Ogunlowo added.

Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ismaila Abubakar, urged recruitment agencies to ensure employers pay the N70,000 minimum wage as any deviation from this will not be tolerated.

Abubakar, represented by the Director of Employment and Wages, John Nyamali, said: ?The minimum wage is now a law, and so it is a punishable crime for any employer to pay any of its workers less than N70,000. It also behoves EAPEAN to ensure its members do not accept any labour contract that offers remuneration below the national minimum wage to any category of employees. You should ensure that your members observe the highest principles of ethics, integrity, and professionalism.

?The Ministry of Labour and Employment on its part will continue to support your organisation to attain greater heights as long as your members are committed to the ethos of the profession. The ministry is not unmindful of the challenges faced by your members involved in international recruitment, ranging from competition by unlicensed PEAS, and difficulty in securing visas from embassies, to securing NAPTIP clearance even after obtaining a Recruiter?s License from us.

?The ministry is bothered by these unpleasant developments which are at variant with the Executive Order on the Ease of Doing Business. Rest assured that the ministry will continue to work with the appropriate government agencies to address these problems.? (The Nation)

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