Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria begins indefinite strike

The Federal High Court in Abuja was shut down on Monday, leaving lawyers, court staff, and litigants stranded and unable to access the facility.

The strike, declared by JUSUN’s national body, paralyzed business activities in and around the court.

The union had issued a directive on May 30, instructing all chapter chairmen to ensure members stayed home starting from midnight on June 1.

However, News Band observed on Monday morning that the gates were locked, with no access granted to the public or legal practitioners.

The closure follows a communiqué issued on May 30 by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), directing its federal chapters to embark on an industrial action beginning midnight, June 1, in solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) over ongoing disputes related to minimum wage and electricity tariff hikes.

In the communiqué signed by Acting General Secretary M.J. Akwashiki, JUSUN attributed the strike action to unproductive meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment.

The demands of the judiciary workers include the payment of a five-month wage award, implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, and a 25%/35% salary increase.

This development contradicts an earlier statement issued on Sunday by court authorities, assuring the public that judicial workers would not participate in the ongoing nationwide strike.

The statement explained that the decision followed the intervention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

It added that a two-week grace period had been granted to the relevant authorities to address the union’s demands.

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