Reps propose jail term for employers over delay or nonpayment of employees’ salaries

A bill is being proposed by the House of Representatives to punish employers who owe their workers salaries in Nigeria.

The Sun reported that the Bill, which has passed the first reading in Section 7 (1) states that “it shall be unlawful for any employer to refuse or neglect to pay the remuneration of his employees, as provided under this Act.”

The bill further states in Section 8 (1) that “where an employee’s remuneration is unpaid after the expiration of the period allowed by this bill, the employee, who desires to claim his entitlement, shall serve upon his employer a written demand for the payment of entitlement.”

However, it provides that “where a demand is served pursuant to Section 9 of this bill and the employee remains unpaid after five working days, the employee may apply to the court by way of motion on notice for redress.”

Consequently, the proposed legislation prescribes a jail term of between three to six months, without option of fine, for individual employers convicted for non-payment of salaries of their workers.