Workers in Benue State under the umbrella of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) staged a peaceful protest at the State High Court in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, over Governor Hyacinth Alia’s failure to pay the new ₦75,000 minimum wage approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the Assistant Secretary of JUSUN in Benue, Jooli David, explained that the protest became necessary after several unsuccessful attempts to engage the state government.
David lamented that despite the state’s announcement of the ₦75,000 minimum wage for workers starting in November, judiciary workers had yet to receive the payment.
He further recounted how the state government ignored the formal notice of an indefinite strike issued by the union on Friday, December 6, leaving them no choice but to initiate strike action.
Investors King learned that in a letter titled Notification of Indefinite Strike Action Over Non-Implementation of New Minimum Wage, addressed to the state governor, the judiciary workers demanded immediate action to avert the strike.
In the letter, the group threatened to withdraw their services and remain at home until further notice from the state branch of the union if the government continued to ignore their demands.
The union’s secretary, who had earlier warned of the impending protest, explained that the strike aligns with directives from JUSUN at the national level and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
David, however, revealed that the union’s leadership has been invited to negotiate with the state’s Head of Service, expressing optimism that both parties would reach a peaceful resolution to the issue.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Benue State Chapter, Terungwa Igbe, affirmed the union’s awareness and support of the strike action.
