By Suleiman Anyalewechi
Effective December 30, 2024, the Abia State Chapter of the Judiciary Service Union of Nigeria JUSUN, said it will march on, and occupy major streets of Umuahia, the State Capital, to draw attention to the alleged State Government’s insincerity in handling some issues bordering on their welfare.
Similarly, come Thursday January 2, 2025, the umbrella body of judiciary workers, will be reactivating its earlier suspended industrial action to press home its demands.
In a notice of strike action jointly issued on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, by Prince Chinedu Eze and Chibueze Nwachukwu, Chairman and Secretary respectively, JUSUN warned that both actions will be indefinite.
The Source reports that about three months ago, the body had embarked on a strike action over what, it said was the unwillingness of the State Government to meet its demands, particularly concerning the payments of gratuities and other entitlements to its members.
However, the Union was to call off the action after few days, following an agreement reached with the Abia state Government.
But in its statement, JUSUN expressed deep concern over what it termed a deliberate attempt to denigrate and undermine the Judiciary as an independent arm of the Government by agents of the state authorities.
The union alleged that the State Government has deliberately refused to honour all the terms of the agreement reached between both parties,
including the issues bordering on the N 70,000 new minimum wage .
“JUSUN has observed that there is a calculated attempt by the agents of the State Government to denigrate the Judiciary, the third arm of Government, and deliberate plan to erode and undermine the autonomy and financial independence of the Judiciary as enshrined in the Constitution and affirmed by the Federal High Court by State agents who have taken joy in breaking all agreement we entered with them ,including the flagrant refusal to implement the N70,000 new minimum wage for Judiciary workers ,even with all entities from stakeholders.
“In the light of these developments, we hereby invite our members to an indefinite peaceful protest on all major streets in Umuahia from Monday December, 30, 2024, and the resumption of the suspended strike from Thursday January ,2,2025, if our salaries for November and December 2024, based on the N70,000 new minimum wage and other entitlement “kidnapped” by the agents of Government are not released to the Heads of the Courts by midnight of December 29, 2024.
“Our members are by this notice directed to assemble at the gate of High Court Headquarters on the morning of December 30,2024 dressed in black attire with union’s cap and or t-shirt” part of the notice of protest reads.”
The Source reports that the organized labour in the State is having issues with the State authorities over the computation of the consequential adjustments components of the new minimum wage .
The State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has, however, directed the State Accountant General to resolve the issues involved.
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