The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the payment of full basic salaries to workers during widowhood leave and called for sweeping reforms across the public service sector to address what it described as longstanding injustices and systemic inefficiencies.
Speaking during a public hearing organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Service Matters, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, backed a proposed bill for widowhood leave in the public service, calling it a necessary provision to support grieving workers and ensure workplace fairness.
Ajaero advocated for a minimum of 30 working days of widowhood leave for both widows and widowers, extendable to 60 days in exceptional cases, with a 100% monthly basic salary paid as allowance throughout the period.
“This policy is not just about compassion; it is about decency and fairness. The trauma of losing a spouse requires time for emotional healing and practical adjustment,” he said, warning that no worker should be penalized in performance assessments for using this leave.
He further proposed a bereavement leave policy granting two weeks of paid time off and allowance for workers who lose other close family members.
The NLC also pushed for the abolition of the eight-year tenure policy for directors in the civil service, describing it as arbitrary, anti-worker, and counterproductive.
“The rule disregards experience, institutional memory, and merit. It has forced many competent hands into premature retirement,” Ajaero stated, calling instead for a merit-based system and the creation of extra-director cadres to prevent stagnation.
Highlighting the growing frustration over career stagnation, Ajaero proposed:
Mandatory promotions every three years for eligible workers
Digitization of promotion processes to eliminate manipulation
Transparent vacancy and promotion timelines
An independent promotion monitoring body within the Federal Civil Service Commission
He said career stagnation was a “cancer eating into the morale and productivity” of the civil service and must be addressed through structural reforms.
On the HND/BSc controversy, the NLC called for its total abolition or lateral conversion options for qualified HND holders.
Ajaero also spoke on the motion to investigate age falsification, urging lawmakers to ensure accountability without turning it into a witch-hunt.
“Rules must apply to all — not just junior staff while high-profile offenders go unpunished,” he cautioned.
Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, who sponsored one of the key bills, said the new National Assembly Service Act, 2025, will professionalize administrative appointments and improve service delivery.
He described the issues under deliberation — premature retirement, promotion stagnation, and age falsification as major obstacles to public service efficiency, vowing that the National Assembly will legislate for a more transparent and accountable system.
The NLC’s submissions reflect a broader push for institutional justice, worker welfare, and productivity-driven governance. With the public hearings ongoing, the Congress urged the National Assembly to adopt these proposals in the interest of fairness, professionalism, and national development.
