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Judiciary workers write Anambra govt, reject offer

By Chukwujekwu Ilozue, Onitsha
21 December 2015   |   4:31 am
The national leadership of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has written to Anambra Sate Governor, Willie Obiano, rejecting the settlement terms he offered to judiciary workers in the state in the negotiation with government. The letter dated December 16, and signed by the general secretary of JUSUN, I.M.Adetola, stated that the state government made…

Justice

The national leadership of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has written to Anambra Sate Governor, Willie Obiano, rejecting the settlement terms he offered to judiciary workers in the state in the negotiation with government.

The letter dated December 16, and signed by the general secretary of JUSUN, I.M.Adetola, stated that the state government made significant step in negotiating with the local chapter, it must pay up the September and October salaries of the workers to be seen to be moving forward.

This is because, JUSUN insists, “all issues leading to industrial dispute and strike action are never from the workers but as a result of in-action of the authorities concerned. Therefore, employers should not benefit from their refusal to act as and when due”.

The state government had, in a letter to the state chairman of JUSUN, promised to “fully retire the said outstanding salaries in three-monthly installments covering the months of January, February and March, 2016. The said payments would also be alongside the due monthly salarie,” according to the letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solomon Chukwulobelu, and Head of Service, Harry Udu.

However, while rejecting the offer, JUSUN also insists that government, like other states in Nigeria, must adhere to CONJUSS salary specification and noted that “it is only when the afore-mentioned conditions are fulfilled by government of Anambra State that the National Secretariat of JUSUN would re-direct the branch to return to work.”

Also, in a press briefing at the weekend, the state chairman of JUSUN, Comrade Mark Ifezue, said he received the government letter with the offer contained therein Thursday evening and wondered how the state chapter of NLC knew the content before JUSUN.

He said NLC leader in the state, Jerry Nnubia, being the leader of the main labour platform ought to have appealed to the government to pay the September and October salaries of workers so that workers could afford transport fair to work.

He lamented that Nnubia did not act in good faith or as labour leader.

“Nevertheless, the directive to embark on strike was given by the national secretariat of JUSUN and only that body can re-direct workers action,” he insisted.

According to him, for now, the national secretariat has taken over the matter and so he is no longer in a position to continue to negotiate with the state government.
As for the issue with the NLC parent body in the state, Ifezue admitted that JUSUN is not part of NLC because the main labour body refused to back it in 2011 when the issue of CONJUSS began.

He also said the issue of splinter group does not worry JUSUN because that group has less than 15 people led by one Mr. Chira, who contested the chairmanship of JUSUN with him.

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