The Supreme Court and National Judicial Council (NJC) chapters of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have officially distanced themselves from the planned strike action declared by the union’s national headquarters. The strike, which was set to commence at midnight on Sunday, was aimed at addressing unresolved demands from the workers, including wage increments and the payment of a long-awaited salary award.
JUSUN’s national leadership had issued a strike directive last Friday, citing unsuccessful meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment regarding their demands. The union’s General Secretary, M.J. Akwashiki, outlined several key issues that had led to the decision, including the payment of a five-month wage award, the implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, and a proposed 25-35 percent salary increase.
However, the Supreme Court chapter, in a statement released on May 31, 2025, explained its decision to withdraw from the strike. The chapter’s Chairman, Danladi Nda Y., emphasized that the short notice provided and the decisions made by colleagues in the lower courts were not feasible for the Supreme Court to manage. Nda also highlighted the ongoing efforts of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, in improving the welfare of the workers at the apex court.
The statement read: “A short notice and decisions reached by our colleagues in (lower) sister courts cannot be manageable by us in the Supreme Court. More so, the efforts and struggles of His Lordship, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun (CJN), in this matter cannot be put in vain or swept under the carpet but must achieve the desirable result.”
In a similar vein, the NJC chapter, through its Public Relations Officer, Joel Ebiloma, assured that it was committed to resolving the issues at hand. The NJC chapter has given the Minister of Labour and other relevant stakeholders a two-week deadline to address concerns with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. As part of the agreement, the NJC has instructed all its staff to report to the office on Monday, allowing the necessary discussions with the authorities to continue.
The NJC’s statement further noted: “This is to allow the relevant stakeholders to engage the necessary authorities to ensure that the Accountant General of the Federation releases the statutory allocations to the judiciary based on the 2025 appropriation, in which the arrears wage award, minimum wage, and the 25/35 percent salary increase have been captured.”