Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Benue State chapter, locked the gates of the state High Court in Makurdi on Monday in protest against the non-implementation of the newly approved minimum wage.
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State recently approved a minimum wage of N75,000 for workers.
The governor announced the decision during a meeting with organized labor representatives at the State Secretariat in Makurdi.
According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Tersoo Kula, the remaining three months of a five-month backlog of salary arrears will be paid as part of the 2024 budget.
The payment, including the new minimum wage, is scheduled to take effect in November 2024.
Despite the announcement, judiciary workers began an indefinite strike on December 6, following directives from the national body of JUSUN and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). The union cited delays in implementing the new wage as the reason for their action.
Assistant Secretary of the union, Jooli David, stated that the judiciary workers were left with no choice but to withdraw their services. On Monday, they barricaded the gates of the High Court, preventing access to the premises.
The union had earlier sent a letter to the governor, titled “Notification of Indefinite Strike Action Over Non-Implementation of New Minimum Wage.” The letter instructed all judiciary staff in the state to stop work and remain at home until further notice.
David also confirmed that union leaders were scheduled to meet with the Head of Service later in the day to discuss the issue.
