Enugu courts shut as judiciary workers begin indefinite strike
From John Okezie
Courts across Enugu State have been shut as members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Enugu Chapter, commenced an indefinite strike over unpaid arrears and other outstanding entitlements.
The union’s chairperson in the state, Sampson Ifedimma, confirmed the development in Enugu, describing the action as a continuation of an earlier suspended strike over the non-payment of the Consolidated Judiciary Salary Structure (CONJUSS) and other benefits.
“This strike is not about luxury or frivolities. We are on strike because, despite the implementation of judicial autonomy, workers’ welfare has been abandoned. Silence in the face of injustice is betrayal,” Ifedimma said.
He explained that the strike, which began on Friday following a directive from JUSUN’s national body, required judiciary workers to withdraw services from 6:00 p.m.
Courts across the state were observed under lock and key on Monday morning.
The JUSUN chairperson accused the heads of courts in Enugu of failing to prioritise staff welfare, even after judicial autonomy was granted.
He urged the state’s Chief Judge and the President of the Customary Court of Appeal to “immediately commence payment of the Consolidated Judiciary Salary Structure, pending since 2018.”
According to him, staff employed in the High Court have been owed four months’ arrears since October 2022, while their counterparts in the Customary Court are being owed seven months.
“JUSUN in Enugu is only asking the heads of courts to implement CONJUSS in a way that accommodates the welfare of staff. The national body is open to negotiation once our grievances are taken seriously. The strike will be suspended as soon as our demands are met,” he stated.
The industrial action is part of JUSUN’s wider agitation across states against the non-implementation of Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for financial autonomy of the judiciary and mandates that judicial officers’ salaries, allowances, and pensions be paid directly from consolidated funds.
