From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Edo State chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) vowed on Monday to down tools in solidarity with its national body over the failure by the federal government to grant them financial autonomy.
The Chairman of the state chapter of JUSUN, Uyi Ogieriakhi, in a telephone chart with reporters, said the state chapter of the trade union is in support of the national body because the union is fighting a just cause.
‘We are in support of the strike. By 7:00am tomorrow, we will be addressing the press on the strike, it is a national directive and you don’t expect us to go against the national dirctive.
‘The national body is fighting a just cause.
‘We went to strike in 2015, then it was the administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomohole, not Governor Obaseki, because our workers were demanding judicial autonomy and payment of seven months’ salary arrears which the state government insisted it would not honour them,’ he said.
The workers of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) had on Friday declared an indefinite nationwide strike to press home their demand for the financial autonomy of the judiciary.
The national leadership of JUSUN in a circular dated April 1 and made available to reporters on Saturday ordered the shut down of various courts across the country as from Tuesday, April 6.
The trade union in a circular signed by JUSUN General Secretary IM Adetola directed all states and zonal heads of the union to comply with the strike.
The union stated that it had at its last National Executive Meeting on March 13 in Abuja issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government to implement the financial autonomy of the judiciary with a threat that ‘failure of which JUSUN will have no other option but to resume the suspended national strike action.
‘Therefore, as a result of the public holiday on April 5, 2021, the strike action has been postponed to Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
‘You are directed to shut down courts/departments in your states until further notice from the National Secretariat of JUSUN in Abuja,’ the circular stated.