The House of Representatives is deliberating on a bill to criminalise non-payment or failure to pay salaries by employers of labour and corporate bodies across the country.
The proposal titled, “The Employees Remuneration Protection Bill, 2023, is sponsored by Hon. Wale Hammed, a member representing the Agege Federal Constituency, Lagos State.
The bill which has passed its first reading when passed into law, employers found guilty of failing to pay the salaries of their workers risk three to six months of imprisonment, without the possibility of a fine.
While Section 7 (1) of the bill provides that it is unlawful for any employer to “Refuse or neglect to pay the remuneration of his employees, as provided under this Act,” Section 8 (1) states that if an employee’s compensation remains unpaid beyond the specified period permitted by this legislation, the employee may submit a written demand to their employer for the payment of their entitlement if they wish to assert their claim.
Therefore, “if an employee fails to remit payment within five business days following service of a demand under Section 9 of this bill, the employee may petition the court for redress by filing a motion on notice.”
