Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the payment of 100% of monthly-basic salary as widowhood leave allowance while the holiday which must last between 30 and days be applicable to both widows and widowers.
The NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajero, made these demands at the pubic hearing on six bills seeking to address key issues affecting the public service and the National Assembly, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Service Matters yesterday.
Ajero expressed NLC’s strong support for the enactment of a widowhood leave policy, saying the traumatic loss of a spouse demands time for emotional recovery and logistical adjustments.
However proposing some amendments to bill(s), he said; “The leave period should be a minimum of 30 working days, extendable under exceptional circumstances to 60 working days. The bill must explicitly ensure equal rights for widows and widowers, avoiding discriminatory practices.
“This should not be used by employers in their Performance assessment exercise for their workers. Employers must be barred from penalizing employees who utilize this leave. A leave allowance of 100% of monthly-basic salary shall apply.
“In furtherance…NLC proposes a bill for Bereavement Leave; in a situation where a worker is bereaved, we recommend a two-week leave and a bereavement allowance.”
Ajero also supported the abrogation of compulsory retirement after eight years as director, saying the policy is anti-worker, arbitrary, and counterproductive.
“It disregards experience, institutional memory, and the right to career longevity. We therefore support the abrogation of compulsory retirement after eight years as director.
“Our demands are: the creation of special cadres to avoid stagnation and loss of organizational capacities and institutional memory such as extra-director positions.
“Immediate repeal of the policy, which has led to premature retirement of competent directors and is a relic of bureaucratic oppression. Replacement with a merit-based system that evaluates performance rather than tenure,” he said.
The labour leader also kicked against stagnation of promotion in the federal civil service, describing it as a cancer eroding morale and productivity in the civil service.
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