By Orekoya Peter Oreoluwa(IT Student Ekiti State University)
Judicial workers in Ogun State commenced a five-day warning strike on Monday to protest the non-payment of their 40% peculiar allowance.
Represented by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), the workers closed the state high court and magistrate court in Isabo, Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
This action left lawyers stranded, impeding judges from fulfilling their duties. JUSUN State Chairman, Olarenwaju Ajiboye, stated that the workers felt compelled to strike following the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued to the state government.
According to Ajiboye, the union’s decision to strike arose after the state government failed to address their concerns within the stipulated time frame.
He also highlighted that if their demands remained unmet after the warning strike, the union would proceed with an indefinite strike starting from March 18, 2024.
Ajiboye elaborated that while the state government had initiated payment of non-peculiar allowances to civil servants since August 2023, judicial workers had been excluded from receiving such benefits.
Despite three letters sent to the Head of Service and the governor, the union had yet to receive any response.
He emphasized that judicial workers, distinct from core civil servants, deserved separate treatment.
The Chairman reiterated that the strike would persist until the workers’ demands were addressed.
