Judiciary workers begin strike Wednesday

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) yesterday directed its members, branches and chapters nationwide to commence a two-day warning strike next Wednesday.
The union also directed the closure of all gates of courts and judiciary outfits, while urging its members to withdraw their services.
This was the outcome of the union’s three-day NEC meeting held in Ilorin, Kwara state capital.

National President of the union, Marwan Mustapha Adamu, who read the communiqué signed by him and the General Secretary, I. M Adetola, said the proposed industrial action was informed by the failure of government to pay funds accruable to states’ judiciary in the federation account directly to the heads of courts, as directed by the court.

It stated  that the court in the order dated 13th January 2014, also pronounced the piece-meal payment/allocations of funds through the state Ministries of Finance to the states’ judiciary is “unconstitutional, un-procedural, cumbersome, null, void and be abated forthwith.

The union lamented that instead of the judgement debtors, the Attorney General of the Federation and state governors implementing the judgement, they resorted to threatening the Heads of Courts and deducting salaries of Unions’ Executives and members in their respective states.
It warned that the union would embark on indefinite strike if the affected authorities failed to implement the court judgment after the warning strike.

The communiqué added: “The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria wish to state clearly and unequivocally that the judgement/order of the Federal High Court, Abuja which is clear and unambiguous, and the financial autonomy and the independence of judiciary is non-negotiable.”