Judicial employees in Ogun State have embarked on a five-day warning strike over the non-payment of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance.
The workers, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Ogun State chapter, were stationed at the state high court and magistrate court in Isabo, Abeokuta, on Monday morning, ensuring that the gates remained shut.
Journalists who visited the court on Monday observed that litigants and lawyers were waiting around as judges were unable to enter the premises and carry out their duties.
In a conversation with reporters, the state chairman of JUSUN, Olarenwaju Ajiboye, mentioned that the workers had no choice but to go on strike due to the state government’s refusal to meet their demands.
Ajiboye explained that the union decided to strike after the 21-day ultimatum given to the state government had expired.
Daily Post quoted Ajiboye saying: “Today, Ogun State judicial workers commenced a five-day warning strike to protest non-payment of 40 per cent peculiar allowance of judicial workers by the state government.
“After the warning strike, if the Ogun State government fails to do the needful, the union will proceed on indefinite strike come 18th March 2024.
“In August 2023, the government commenced the payment of a non-peculiar allowance to core civil servants. Immediately we became aware of this, we informed our national body, which wrote three letters – one to the head of service and two to the governor directly on the matter.
“The head of the service called a meeting with the union and other stakeholders to discuss the way forward. The reasons given to the union for the government not paying the money were not tenable and not acceptable to the union, that is why we proceeded on this five-day warning strike.
“The union held its congress where a 21-day ultimatum was issued to the state government to do the needful failure of which will need a five-day warning strike after which we will proceed on indefinite strike,
” Ajiboye added.
