The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has announced the suspension of the nationwide industrial action earlier scheduled to begin on Monday.
The JUSUN had earlier in a communiqué dated May 30, directed its federal chapters to begin an industrial strike from midnight of June 1st.
In a statement issued on Sunday, JUSUN directed its members nationwide to suspend the planned industrial action and resume work on Monday.
The statement explained that a two-week reprieve had been granted to allow relevant authorities time to resolve the outstanding issues.
This came after the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi and other stakeholders held a series of meetings with union leaders over the weekend.
The JUSUN, in the communiqué, signed by acting General Secretary M.J. Akwashiki had called for the strike, now suspended, citing unproductive meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment.
“This action will continue until further notice,” Akwashiki stated.
Their demands included payment of a five-month wage award, implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage, and a 25 per cent/35 per cent salary increase.
Before the announcement by JUSUN, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the National Judicial Council chapter of JUSUN and the Federal High Court had withdrawn their participation in the strike.
This decision followed credible assurances the judicial workers received from the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, during a closed-door meeting.
The JUSUN NJC chapter, in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Joel Ebiloma, indicated that a two-week grace period had been granted to relevant authorities to address the demands.
The statement further explained that the strike was suspended to enable stakeholders to engage with the appropriate authorities, ensuring the release of statutory allocations to the judiciary.
These include arrears for the Wage Award, minimum wage adjustments, and the 25 per cent/35 per cent salary increase captured in the 2025 Appropriation Act.
The Supreme Court, in a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting, confirmed that its workers had decided against joining the industrial action after assessing the efforts of the CJN to address their concerns.
The communiqué revealed that the CJN had already met with the presidency to present the judiciary’s demands, pushing for a resolution.
Signed by 12 principal officers of the Supreme Court chapter of JUSUN, including Chairman Danladi Isa, the communiqué described joining the strike as a “misplacement of priorities” that would undermine the CJN’s efforts.
“With the CJN’s commendable efforts, we owe her our unwavering support to ensure the payment of expected allowances and other benefits,” it stated.
The communiqué added, “The stance of lower courts on the planned nationwide strike cannot be managed by us in the Supreme Court, as it risks jeopardising the CJN’s efforts and rendering them ineffective.
“We urge our colleagues to remain calm and allow the CJN’s initiatives to achieve meaningful results.
The Supreme Court chapter of JUSUN also noted that discussions had commenced with other federal chapters to encourage a reconsideration of the strike action.
“We appeal to those insisting on the strike to exercise patience and align with the CJN’s approach to achieving the desired outcomes,” the communiqué concluded.
The Punch
