The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the payment of 100% of monthly basic salary as allowance for workers granted widowhood leave.
The union also demanded that the special leave be extended to both widows and widowers and should last between 30 to 60 working days.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajero, made the call during a public hearing on six bills concerning the public service. The hearing was organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Service Matters at the National Assembly.
Ajero said the NLC strongly supports the passage of the bill on widowhood leave, noting that the emotional and logistical challenges of losing a spouse warrant adequate recovery time for affected workers.
He proposed that the bill should guarantee equal rights for male and female beneficiaries and that no employee should be penalised for making use of the leave.
“The leave period should be a minimum of 30 working days and may be extended to 60 days in special cases. It must be made clear in the law that this provision applies equally to both widows and widowers,” he said.
Ajero added that “a leave allowance of 100% of monthly basic salary shall apply” and stressed that employers must not factor the leave into performance assessment or use it as grounds for negative appraisal.
In addition to the widowhood leave, the NLC also proposed the introduction of a two-week bereavement leave for workers who lose close family members, along with a bereavement allowance.
On career progression in the civil service, the NLC president strongly opposed the existing policy mandating retirement after eight years as director, describing it as “anti-worker, arbitrary and counterproductive.”
He said the policy ignores experience and institutional memory, and has forced many competent directors into premature retirement.
Ajero called for its immediate repeal and suggested the creation of extra-directorate positions to accommodate senior officers and prevent stagnation.
“We demand a shift to a merit-based system that focuses on performance instead of tenure,” he said.
He also condemned the stagnation of promotions in the federal civil service, describing it as a “cancer” that is undermining morale and productivity.
The NLC’s position at the public hearing adds momentum to ongoing reforms aimed at improving conditions of service for Nigerian public sector workers.
