NLC DEMANDS 100% SALARY FOR WIDOWHOOD LEAVE, CONDEMNS EIGHT-YEAR RETIREMENT POLICY

At a public hearing held by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Service Matters, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) made a passionate case for the implementation of comprehensive widowhood leave policies and a reform of civil service regulations. NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajero, strongly advocated for the payment of 100% of a worker’s monthly basic salary as allowance during widowhood leave, emphasizing the need to institutionalize a compassionate and non-discriminatory framework for grieving employees.
Ajero urged lawmakers to ensure that both widows and widowers benefit equally from the proposed leave policy, which should span a minimum of 30 working days and be extendable to 60 under special conditions. He warned that the leave should not affect performance assessments or become grounds for penalization by employers. The NLC further proposed a new Bereavement Leave policy—distinct from widowhood leave—which would grant workers a two-week paid leave and accompanying allowance following the loss of a loved one.
In addition to championing humane leave policies, the NLC leader criticized the existing mandatory retirement policy for directors after eight years, describing it as arbitrary and detrimental to institutional memory. “We support the abrogation of this anti-worker policy and advocate for a merit-based evaluation system,” Ajero declared. He called for the creation of special cadres beyond the directorate level to address stagnation and preserve the wealth of experience within the civil service. Ajero also decried the persistent stagnation of promotions, which he described as a “cancer” undermining worker morale and public service efficiency.