On Monday, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Ogun branch began a five-day warning strike over non-payment of 40 per cent peculiar allowance by the state government.

The JUSUN chair in Ogun, Olanrewaju Ajiboye, who spoke to journalists in Abeokuta, said that it embarked on the warning strike after several meetings with the government ended in a deadlock.

According to Mr Ajiboye, before the decision to embark on the five-day warning strike, a series of meetings had been held with the head of service, and letters had been issued to the state government, but it ended in a deadlock.

The JUSUN leader said, “What is happening here today is that we, the judiciary Staff Union, are starting a five-day warning strike to protest for the non-payment of a 40 per cent peculiar allowance to judiciary workers by the state government.

“After the warning strike, if the state government fails to do the needful, the union will proceed on indefinite strike by March 18. In August 2023, Ogun state government commenced the payment of peculiar allowance to core civil servants in Oke-mosan, immediately we heard of it, we informed our national body.”

Mr Ajiboye added, “The union wrote three letters—one to the head of service, two to the governor directly. The head of service has met with the union and stakeholders on the way forward, but reason given for the non-payment was not tenable and not acceptable by the union. That is why we are proceeding on a five-day warning strike.”

He disclosed that the union, on February 3, held its congress at Isabo, where a 21-day ultimatum was issued to the government to do the needful, failure of which would lead to a five-day warning strike.

“After the expiration of the warning strike, we will proceed on an indefinite strike,” Mr Ajiboye stressed.

The JUSUN chair, however, appealed to the state government to look into the workers’ requests and do what was needed.

The courts were under lock and key, and nobody was allowed to gain entrance into the court premises. 

(NAN)