FG Asks JUSUN, PASAN To Call Off Strike, Issues No-Work-No-Pay Threat

The Federal Government has directed members of the striking
Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary
Staff Association of Nigeria(PASAN) to “urgently” call off their
over-two-month-old strike.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, gave the
directive in a statement on Tuesday, threatening that the
government might be forced to invoke “sections of the Trade
Disputes Acts” if the strike persisted longer.

The threat is a government’s familiar warning of possible
introduction of “no-work-no-pay” policy to break adamant striking
workers.

“The ministry will not be happy to be pushed into invoking
sections of the Trade Disputes Acts capable of eroding all the
gains made so far in the negotiations since May 6, 2021,” the
statement signed by the ministry of Labour and Employment’s Deputy
Director, Press and Public Relations, Charles Akpan, on
Tuesday.

Members of the two unions have been on strike for over two
months in agitation for the financial independence of the various
state judiciaries and Houses of Assembly.

Specifically, JUSUN members began their strike on April 6, and
since then, courts at both the state and federal levels have been
shut across the country.

The labour minister, who leads the negotiation team regarding
the industrial crisis, urged members of the two unions to
immediately return to work in honour of the May 20, 2021 Memorandum
of Action (MoA), signed by all parties.

Mr Ngige decried the situation where the courts and the state
Houses of Assembly were still shut down across the federation “for
no cogent reasons of non-adherence to the provisions of the May 20
Memorandum of Action which has 45 days implementation window.”

“The Federal Government has sadly noted that the MOA between all
the stakeholders involved in the JUSUN/ PASAN strike, mainly
JUSUN/PASAN, governors’ forum and the Presidential Implementation
Committee is yet to take effect because of non-compliance by
parties.

“We note that the strike has not been called off as of noon,
today, June 8, 2021, leading to courts and various State Houses of
Assembly still remaining under lock and key contrary to the promise
made by the two unions at a further dialogue which was attended by
the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress.

“Unfortunately, all federal courts have remained closed
notwithstanding the fact that the Federal level of Government
operates a financial autonomy of the judiciary through the National
Judicial Council (NJC) and the National Assembly through the
statutory transfer lines,” the statement quoted Mr Ngige as
saying.

The minister added that state governors “are desirous that the
State Assemblies be opened so that they can enact the laws meant to
give effect to the autonomy as enshrined in the MOA.”

He added, “But we have advised all state governors that have
consulted with their heads of judiciary and legislature to go ahead
and credit the accounts of the judiciary and legislature before
fine-tuning the laws.

“We are worried and therefore wish to appeal for the last time
to all parties involved in the signed agreement to abide by its
spirit and letters, by firstly re-opening all the courts and the
State Houses of Assembly so that all other ingredients in the MOA
can be given full compliance by all parties concerned.

“This much was agreed to between JUSUN/ PASSAN and the Governors
Forum at the last meeting on Friday, June 4, 2021.”

The minister also noted that with the courts closed , the police
and other security agencies “cannot prosecute criminals, hoodlums
and bandits even as the nation is faced with heightened
insecurity.”

TheNigerialawyer recalls that the Judiciary Staff Union of
Nigeria, JUSUN, has agreed to suspend its two months strike.

Speaking with TheNigerialawyer after the meeting, JUSUN
treasurer, Jimoh Musa, said the strike suspension was agreed during
the meeting between the Union and the National Judicial Council,
NJC, today.

Although he noted that the suspension must be approved by
National Executive Council of JUSUN, being the highest
decision-making body of the Union which coincidentally is holding
its NEC emergency meeting tomorrow.

He further stated that the strike will commence again after two
or three months of suspension if the Governors fail to do the
needful.

The Federal Government has directed members of the striking
Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary
Staff Association of Nigeria(PASAN) to “urgently” call off their
over-two-month-old strike.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, gave the
directive in a statement on Tuesday, threatening that the
government might be forced to invoke “sections of the Trade
Disputes Acts” if the strike persisted longer.

The threat is a government’s familiar warning of possible
introduction of “no-work-no-pay” policy to break adamant striking
workers.

“The ministry will not be happy to be pushed into invoking
sections of the Trade Disputes Acts capable of eroding all the
gains made so far in the negotiations since May 6, 2021,” the
statement signed by the ministry of Labour and Employment’s Deputy
Director, Press and Public Relations, Charles Akpan, on
Tuesday.

Members of the two unions have been on strike for over two
months in agitation for the financial independence of the various
state judiciaries and Houses of Assembly.

Specifically, JUSUN members began their strike on April 6, and
since then, courts at both the state and federal levels have been
shut across the country.

The labour minister, who leads the negotiation team regarding
the industrial crisis, urged members of the two unions to
immediately return to work in honour of the May 20, 2021 Memorandum
of Action (MoA), signed by all parties.

Mr Ngige decried the situation where the courts and the state
Houses of Assembly were still shut down across the federation “for
no cogent reasons of non-adherence to the provisions of the May 20
Memorandum of Action which has 45 days implementation window.”

“The Federal Government has sadly noted that the MOA between all
the stakeholders involved in the JUSUN/ PASAN strike, mainly
JUSUN/PASAN, governors’ forum and the Presidential Implementation
Committee is yet to take effect because of non-compliance by
parties.

“We note that the strike has not been called off as of noon,
today, June 8, 2021, leading to courts and various State Houses of
Assembly still remaining under lock and key contrary to the promise
made by the two unions at a further dialogue which was attended by
the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress.

“Unfortunately, all federal courts have remained closed
notwithstanding the fact that the Federal level of Government
operates a financial autonomy of the judiciary through the National
Judicial Council (NJC) and the National Assembly through the
statutory transfer lines,” the statement quoted Mr Ngige as
saying.

The minister added that state governors “are desirous that the
State Assemblies be opened so that they can enact the laws meant to
give effect to the autonomy as enshrined in the MOA.”

He added, “But we have advised all state governors that have
consulted with their heads of judiciary and legislature to go ahead
and credit the accounts of the judiciary and legislature before
fine-tuning the laws.

“We are worried and therefore wish to appeal for the last time
to all parties involved in the signed agreement to abide by its
spirit and letters, by firstly re-opening all the courts and the
State Houses of Assembly so that all other ingredients in the MOA
can be given full compliance by all parties concerned.

“This much was agreed to between JUSUN/ PASSAN and the Governors
Forum at the last meeting on Friday, June 4, 2021.”

The minister also noted that with the courts closed , the police
and other security agencies “cannot prosecute criminals, hoodlums
and bandits even as the nation is faced with heightened
insecurity.”

TheNigerialawyer recalls that the Judiciary Staff Union of
Nigeria, JUSUN, has agreed to suspend its two months strike.

Speaking with TheNigerialawyer after the meeting, JUSUN
treasurer, Jimoh Musa, said the strike suspension was agreed during
the meeting between the Union and the National Judicial Council,
NJC, today.

Although he noted that the suspension must be approved by
National Executive Council of JUSUN, being the highest
decision-making body of the Union which coincidentally is holding
its NEC emergency meeting tomorrow.

He further stated that the strike will commence again after two
or three months of suspension if the Governors fail to do the
needful.