By Henry Umoru, Abuja
Moves by the Senate to review the Labour Act to provide stiffer penalties for various offences ranging from modern slavery, child Labour to discrimination against women in the workplace, got a boost as a Bill to that effect scaled second reading.
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.
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A bill to review the existing Labour Act to guarantee severe sanctions for child labour and discrimination against women. Passed second reading on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday.
The bill, Labour Act amendment bill 2020 was sponsored by Senator representing Imo East senatorial district, Ezenwa Onyewuchi.
Presenting his lead debate, Senator Onyewuchi, said the bill “seeks to amend the present fines for these offences in the Labour Act which are now obsolete and bring them in line with modern realities.”
He declared that the amendment bill seeks the upward review of fines in the Labour Act for several offences. The present fines for offences in the Nigerian Labour Act are obsolete in context and content.