Judicial workers in Ogun State have shut down court gates in the state after the beginning of a five-day warning strike over lack of payment of the 40% peculiar allowance.
The workers, under the banner of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, Ogun State chapter, were seen manning the state high court and magistrate court in Isabo, Abeokuta, guaranteeing that the gates remained shut.
When our correspondent visited the court on Monday, litigants and lawyers were seen milling about as judges were also barred from entering the premises and performing their duties.
Speaking to our correspondent, the state chairman of JUSUN, Olarenwaju Ajiboye emphasised that the workers were compelled to embark on the strike following the refusal of the state government to grant their demands.
According to Ajiboye, the union embarked on the strike after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued to the state government.
Ajiboye had said:
“Today, Ogun State judicial workers began a five-day warning strike to protest non-payment of 40 percent peculiar allowance of judicial workers by the state government.“After this warning strike, if the Ogun State government fails to do the needful, the union will then embark on an indefinite strike come 18th March 2024.
“In August 2023, the government commenced the payment of a non-peculiar allowance to core civil servants. After we became aware of this, we informed our national body, and wrote three letters addressed to the head of service and two to the governor directly on the matter.
“The head of service called for 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 justifiable and not acceptable to the union, that is why we commenced on this five-day warning strike.
“The union held a congress where a 21-day ultimatum was announced 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.”
