Marwan Adamu, national president of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, on Monday, said all the organs of the union would meet to review and take necessary action following the feedback from the ongoing strike.
Mr Adamu stated this while reacting to reports that workers of the Supreme Court and the National Judicial Council had withdrawn from the industrial action declared by the national body.
JUSUN’s national body, in a circular by its acting national secretary, M.J. Akwashiki, on May 30, had asked all its chapters’ chairpersons to, effective from midnight on Sunday, June 1, direct all their members to stay at home.
It stated that the directive followed unfruitful meetings, particularly with the Minister of Labour and Employment, who was attempting to conciliate on their 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 and implement the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, as well as the 25/35 per cent salary increase,” JUSUN had said.
At the Supreme Court on Monday, business activities were proceeding unhindered, and courts were also in session. However, at the NJC, the office was not shut down.
Reacting, Mr Adamu said there was no division in the leadership of JUSUN.
On why the workers at the Supreme Court and NJC refused to join the strike, Mr Adamu said, “There are leaders of the JUSUN chapter at the Supreme Court; you should have asked them.
“They are in the position to tell you why they are not complying. We have agreed to go on a strike. It is not an individual matter. It is a decision of the organ.
“If one of the organs is not complying, it is their duty to tell you why they are not complying.”
According to him, it is not an issue of division.
The president emphasised that the judiciary workers at the state level were not part of the ongoing industrial action because their demands did not affect them.
Mr Adamu, therefore, said that all the organs of the union would meet to review the level of compliance.
He said he could not tell how long the strike would last.
“Currently, as I am speaking with you, a meeting at the instance of the chief justice of Nigeria is taking place now. And if the meeting is not combined, there is going to be another meeting with other stakeholders at the Ministry of Labour and Productivity.
“If the demands are met, it will be resolved, but I can’t tell you when the strike will be called off,” he said.
The Supreme Court, in a communique issued at the end of its meeting, stated that workers decided not to join the industrial action after assessing the issues and considering the efforts of the CJN to meet their demands.
The communique confirmed that the CJN had already visited the presidency and presented their demands in order to have them fully resolved.
The communique, signed by 12 principal officers of the Supreme Court chapter of JUSUN, led by chairman Danladi Nda, stated that joining the June 2 strike would amount to misplacing priority and neglect, resulting in an exercise in futility.
