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Judiciary workers in Benue State, under the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), have locked the gates of the state High Court in Makurdi to protest the government’s failure to implement the new ₦75,000 minimum wage.
During a visit to the court premises, The Punch correspondent observed union members barricading the entrance and preventing access to the facility.
According to the Assistant Secretary of JUSUN in Benue, Jooli David, the industrial action follows the government’s failure to pay the revised minimum wage to judiciary staff.
David disclosed that a formal notice of an indefinite strike had been issued on Friday, warning of the impending shutdown.
Although the Benue State government began implementing the ₦75,000 minimum wage for workers at the end of November, JUSUN argued that its members had been excluded from the new wage structure.
David explained that the strike was in line with directives from the union’s national body and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
He revealed that JUSUN’s Benue chapter had no choice but to commence the strike on December 6, 2024.
A letter titled “Notification of Indefinite Strike Action Over Non-Implementation of New Minimum Wage” was addressed to the state governor, calling for immediate action.
The letter instructed all judiciary staff in the state to withdraw their services and remain at home until further notice from the state branch of the union.
David noted that the union’s leadership was scheduled to meet with the state’s Head of Service later in the day to discuss possible resolutions to the dispute.
When contacted, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Benue, Terungwa Igbe, confirmed awareness of the strike but refrained from disclosing the specific reasons behind it.
