Nasarawa CJ to invoke no-work, no-pay rule on striking workers

• Disability bill passes third reading
The Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Suleiman Dikko, has threatened to invoke the ‘no-work, no-pay policy on striking judicial workers.

The CJ, who spoke to newsmen through the Public Relations Officer (PRO), urged the workers to report for duties immediately.

He warned that anyone who fails to report to his or her duty post would not be paid the salary for the period that the strike lasted.

“Only those who comply with the directive by the CJ would be paid their salaries.
“We have created a window for negotiation and the union has not complied. What else could we do that we have not done to bring a lasting solution”, the CJ declared.

He directed all heads of courts to take the attendance of those who report for duty.

In his reaction, the state Chairman of Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Jimoh Musa said the CJ does not have the right to invoke such policy.

He insisted that the workers were on a legitimate strike.

Musa explained that the threat was part of measures by the management to intimidate the officials and members of the union to suspend the strike.

According to him, government can only invoke such policy, if the workers absconded from duty for no just course.

The chairman added that the law has given the union the right to embark on strike to press home their demands.

He urged the workers to ignore the threat.

Meanwhile, a bill seeking to protect the rights of disabled persons in the state has passed its third reading on the floor of the state House of Assembly.

When passed into law, a Disability Right Commission would be established.

The speaker of the state House of Assembly, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullai, disclosed the passage of the bill.

This followed a motion by the majority leader of the House, Tanko Tunga, (All Progressives Congress, APC-Awe North), who moved the motion during the plenary in Lafia.

Mohammed Okpede (PDP-Doma North) seconded the motion.

Abdullahi said the commission, if established, would give the physically challenged persons their full rights as their able-bodied counterparts.

It would also give them a sense of belonging in the interest of development.

“The importance of this commission to the development of the disabled persons cannot be over-emphasised, hence the need for the passage of the bill into law.

“We commend Governor Tanko Almakura for initiating the bill, and I also commend my colleagues for giving it adequate attention,” he said.