Monday, June 2, 2025 -The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) started an indefinite strike on Monday, June 2, with the Federal High Court chapter locking out judges, lawyers, staff and litigants from accessing the court premises.
This comes after its national body declared an indefinite
strike over the government’s failure to implement salary adjustment based on
the new minimum wage of N70,000 and the payments of wage awards.
Judges, staff, lawyers, litigants and public members were
denied access as business activities in and around the court were
paralysed.
At the Federal High Court headquarters located along the
Shehu Shagari Way in Abuja, all the entrance gates into the high-rise building
were under lock.
The Court of Appeal and the FCT High Court in Maitama have
been placed under lockdown, with a banner labelled “JUSUN on strike” hung on
the gate.
The JUSUN national body had, on May 30, in a circular by its
acting national secretary, M.J. Akwashiki, asked all its chapters’ chairs to,
effective from midnight Sunday, June 1, direct all their members to stay at
home.
It said, “This directive follows unfruitful meetings in the
instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, who was conciliating on our
matter.
“We believe that, as directed by the organs of the union,
National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Council (NEC) of our
great union, the action will continue until further notice.
“Our demands are for the government to pay us five months
wage awards, implement the 70,000 national minimum wage, and implement the
25/35 per cent salary increase. Solidarity forever.”
The strike proceeded despite the intervention of the Chief
Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who urged the union to hold off the
strike to allow for negotiations with the federal government.
Meanwhile, judiciary workers under the National Judicial
Council (NJC) and in the Supreme Court have their gates open and are not
participating in the strike, in line with statements by Joel Ebiloma, JUSUN
spokesperson, and Danladi Nda, chairman of JUSUN’s Supreme Court chapter, over
the weekend that the council and the apex court would not take part in the
strike.
0 Comments