From VAL OKARA, Owerri
Staffers of Imo State judiciary will today commence an indefinite strike to press home their grievances over alleged selective implementation of the minimum wage at the expense of the workers in the state judiciary by the Governor Rochas Okorocha administration. This was contained in a communiqué issued after a general meeting of the state chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
The communiqué, signed by the state Chairman, Aloka Kenneth; Secretary, Elder Rufus Abanobi and the Public Relations Officer, Christian Nwachukwu, also enumerated efforts by the union to amicably settle the dispute with the state government without resorting to industrial action. It was also noted that JUSUN national headquarters had also written to the state government on four occasions on the matter without any response from the state. According to the communiqué, the union had already exhausted the 21-day and 14-day statutory notices for industrial action without any reasonable response from the state government.
Daily Sun gathered that national officers of the union, Habila J. Dacep, National Legal Adviser; Mrs Victoria Folake Lanro, National Vice President, North Central and Mr. Celestine Chukwu national organizing secretary were consequently dispatched to the state to officially declare the commencement of the industrial action. Dacep, who spoke on behalf of the national officers, said the strike was endorsed by the national headquarters of the union in accordance with the provisions of Article 29 of the JUSUN constitution. Not too long ago, the Body of Chief Judges in Nigeria met and reviewed the conditions of service of staff in the nation’s judiciary.
In its communiqué, Body of Chief Judges recommended a Consolidated Salary Structure for Judiciary Staff (CONJUSS) in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. However, state chapters of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) were given the privilege to go to their different states and territories to negotiate the implementation of the CONJUSS. “After series of negotiations, the Ohakim administration agreed to pay Imo judiciary staff what was called Enhanced Welfare Conditions of Service for all staff of Imo State judiciary which amounted to 50 per cent of the benchmark nationally provided by CONJUSS.
“Consequently, it brought the minimum wage of judiciary staff in Imo to N17, 736.25k. Government, however, agreed to upgrade this Enhanced Condition of Service as time and economic convenience would permit. The agreement was signed and implemented in 2010.” However, when the Okorocha administration implemented the N20, 000 minimum wage, the emoluments of the judiciary staff were not reconciled to reflect the minimum wage and as such were excluded from the improved minimum wage. Efforts by the union to get government to respect the agreement signed with it in 2010 had not been fruitful till date.
Imo State Judiciary workers should leave Rochas alone. He has tried for the Imo State civil servants. Ask two questions to your national officers who are supporting you: how much is the minimum wage of their home States? Two, how much is their home State governors paying their Judicial workers?
Tomorrow some elements who don’t know what is happening in the state would begin to sing his praises. The state is in total administrative collapse.
What did you and your Ikiri did for Imo-Satate? Remove trash in Owerri, dig 900 bore-holes and construct Osina-Ideato road as it is written in Ohakem’s three hundred hand-over Memo/notes and 30-page- summary. Big-Deal, Give me a braek.
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But Rochas said he is paying above the minimum of N18k. I hope praise singers will sing more song this time as another strike is looming in Imo State for the same reason. IMO IS IN THE HANDS OF GOD.
But jusun admitted that state government is paying 20k as salary to civil servants in the state..
Rogers u ar a fool, enemy of progress n u wil remain dat way until u change. When Ohakim ur broda was in power, IMSU was closed for 8months bcox of strike, civil servant n others, so what am sayin is dat all these things hapen 2al govts, even in UK. It do hapen everywhere but dat does nt mean dat govt shud nt pay its workers but they hav 2nagociate bcos a worker deserve his/her wages
The question that is begging for answer is ” is it N20,000″ they wanted to be given to them as minimum wage or 50% of N20,000 to be added to the minimum wage as their salary scale? I couldn’t get that from this report, hence, this report is incomplete.
Chym how can you call Okorocha a fool, do you have somebody of his kind in your village?. The fact is that some people using this platform should discontinue because a good number of them are displaying their high level of illitracy. This platform is not made for everybody. I am of the view that the Imo state judicial workers can’t cripple the state and can’t stop the state from moving forward.
What is there number?, the person using them should come out from hiding. Okorocha is far better than 1,000 PDP governors.
They need 50% increase
Chym, says Rogers not Rochas
@Roger: u an incorrigible political fanatic. It is ur likes dt r being used under d guise of JUSUN to rubbish Rochas’ good work. Pls, open ur eyes.
We all should help in building Nigeria instead of destroying it.
IT IS NOT THE STATE ALONE THAT ARE FACING THIS PROBLEM EVEN AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. KINDLY PAY US PLS.