Courts across Abia State have been shut down as members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) embarked on an indefinite strike over the non-payment of accumulated leave allowances dating back to 2018.
The industrial action, which has lasted about two weeks, has completely paralysed judicial activities in the state.
Speaking with journalists, the Secretary of the Abia State JUSUN chapter, Comrade Pastor Chibuzo Nwachukwu, said the unpaid leave allowances are part of several unresolved issues between the union and the state government.
He listed other grievances, including the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary and the failure to harmonise judiciary workers’ basic salary structure with that of other public servants in the state.
Nwachukwu stressed that salary harmonisation is crucial because most benefits and allowances are calculated based on workers’ basic salaries.
He clarified that the outstanding leave allowances were not incurred solely under the current administration of Governor Alex Otti, who assumed office in 2023, but also accumulated during the tenures of former governors Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu.
Dismissing claims that the strike may be politically motivated, Nwachukwu described the allegation as baseless and “laughable.”
“We are agitating because the government is paying other workers while excluding judiciary staff,” he said.
“Our action is informed by the government’s refusal to honour agreements reached on this matter. We served 20-day, 14-day, and seven-day notices, but there was no response.”
He added that the government had not denied responsibility for the payments, noting that several reconciliation meetings were held before the union resorted to strike action.
Nwachukwu rejected reports suggesting that the state government claims the leave allowances have been incorporated into workers’ salaries, insisting the allowances remain unpaid.
The strike will continue indefinitely until all the union’s demands are fully met.
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