The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) says its officials walked out of a parley called by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.

“Sir, information has reached our union that the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment has expressed dissatisfaction with the way JUSUN members left your conference room on Tuesday, April 20.

“JUSUN wishes to put it on record that many of our members at the conciliation meeting are Muslims and were fasting on the day in question.

“Having stayed for about two hours without communication from any quarter of the ministry, JUSUN members, agitating and complaining that they needed to go and break their fast, had to leave,” said Isaiah Adetola, JUSUN’s General Secretary, in a letter dated April 26 addressed to Mr Ngige.

JUSUN officials had, on April 20, staged a walkout at the meeting called by the minister, including the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), to resolve the ongoing strike by the unions.

Both unions’ leaders were angry that a meeting slated for 3:00 p.m. had not begun at 4:35 p.m. The unionists then staged a walkout chanting solidarity songs.

However, in the letter, Mr Adetola urged the minister to continue with the meeting, geared towards an amicable resolution of the strike.

“All other things put aside, JUSUN commends and appreciates the role of the Ministry of Labour in ensuring peaceful relations at the workplace; in the case of JUSUN, by trying to ensure the conducive environment and justice for all Nigerians.

“Therefore, we sincerely urge the minister to continue with the conciliation meetings, which you have commenced. We are all concerned about the good of Nigeria, and all annoyance should not be carried too far and be allowed to derail us,” he said.