Judiciary Workers Union, JUSUN Begins Indefinite Strike Friday

By Tajudeen Balogun

Another nationwide industrial action looms as the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has put on alert its members of strike, likely to commence tomorrow. The Union threatened the only condition that would reverse the planned action is the implementation of court ruling, directing financial autonomy to the state judiciaries effective from Friday.

The notice was contained in a communique issued Thursday at the emergency meeting of the union’s national executive members and made available to African Examiner. JUSUN enjoined its members to be at alert for “solidarity strike” and indicated that it has taken over the ongoing industrial dispute owing to leadership conflict of its Rivers state chapter.

The communique which was signed by JUSUN National President, Comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu and National Secretary, Comrade Isaiah Adetola berated the manner the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Rivers State Judicial Service commission (JSC) managed the crisis by issuing two different conflicting directives to the striking judicial workers. The union argued that the order was “unfair” as it was difficult for the workers to receive parallel orders from different authorities on the same issue.

The statement raised alarm over the security threat to the lives of the state (Rivers) JUSUN leadership, owing to the ensuing crisis.

On the planned nationwide strike, JUSUN leaders stressed the action would go on as the court order on financial autonomy was rebuffed and failure of the other parties to abide by recommendation given last month to set up a technical committee of the FAAC.

Consequently, the judiciary staff at the state levels have been directed to proceed on “an “indefinite strike” from Friday, while the JUSUN national secretariat would formally notify national judiciary workers and request them to join in the action.

In the main time, the communique announced the NEC in session had taken over the Rivers state Chapter of the union.