The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the institutionalisation of a widowhood leave policy that grants 100% of monthly-basic salary as allowance to affected civil servants, with the leave period set at 30 working days, extendable to 60 days in exceptional cases.
President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, made the call during a public hearing on six reform bills affecting public service, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Service Matters on Friday.
He emphasised that the leave must apply equally to widows and widowers, free from discrimination or employer sanctions, and warned against using the policy to assess worker performance. Ajaero further proposed a bereavement leave bill, advocating for two weeks off work and a formal bereavement allowance to aid grieving workers.
In his broader address, Ajaero rejected the controversial compulsory retirement policy for directors after 8 years, calling it arbitrary and detrimental to institutional memory. He demanded its immediate repeal, recommending instead a merit-based evaluation system and creation of extra-director cadres to enhance career progression.
On promotions, the NLC president condemned the persistent stagnation within the federal civil service and called for mandatory three-year promotions, an independent monitoring unit, and digitised processes to block manipulation and delays. He further proposed that ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) publish timelines and vacancies publicly, to enforce accountability.
He also demanded retroactive redress for workers denied promotions unfairly, and horizontal expansion of workspaces to boost internal mobility within the system.
On the controversial HND/BSc dichotomy, the NLC asked for its complete abolition or lateral conversion rights for HND holders with additional qualifications.
On the proposed bill targeting age falsification, Ajaero stressed that enforcement must not become a witch-hunt against low-level staff, while elites walk free. He called for uniform application of sanctions, strengthening public rules, and pursuing top officials who breach civil service laws.
House Speaker Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, who sponsored one of the bills, said the reforms aim to eliminate stagnation, strengthen transparency, and restore professionalism to the public service and National Assembly institutions. He confirmed the National Assembly would review existing structures to ensure administrative efficiency, pension equity, and integrity in staff progression.
Keywords: NLC widowhood leave, civil service reform, Joe Ajaero
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