…union president confirms talks at supreme court
Judicial activities across the nation’s capital were brought to a halt on Monday as members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) enforced an indefinite strike action, locking out judges, lawyers, litigants, and staff from several key courts in Abuja and across the country.
A visit by BusinessDay to the Federal High Court (FHC) headquarters along Shehu Shagari Way in Abuja showed that all entrance gates were securely locked, leaving the premises inaccessible. Similar scenes played out at the Court of Appeal, the Federal High Court, and the FCT High Court in Maitama, where access was denied in full compliance with the nationwide strike directive.
The industrial action follows a circular issued on May 30 by JUSUN’s Acting National Secretary, M.J. Akwashiki, instructing all chapter chairmen to ensure their members stay away from work starting from midnight on Sunday, June 1.
The directive cited failed negotiations with the Minister of Labour and Employment, who had been mediating between the union and the federal government.
“This directive follows unfruitful meetings… We believe that, as directed by the organs of the union, National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Council (NEC) of our great union, the action will continue until further notice,” the circular read.
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JUSUN is demanding the payment of five months’ wage awards, the full implementation of the ₦70,000 new national minimum wage, and a 25 to 35 percent salary increase. The union is also calling for the immediate release of statutory allocations based on the 2025 Appropriation Act, in which these arrears were reportedly captured.
Despite reports that a few chapters may have withdrawn from the strike, enforcement remained firm as of 9:48 a.m. Monday, with court gates still locked and business activities around judicial complexes paralyzed.
Marwan Adamu, JUSUN President in a telephone interview with BusinessDay, confirmed that the strike remains in force.
“We are currently in a meeting at the Supreme Court, so discussions are ongoing. But this is an independent strike,” he said.
When asked if the union would consider ending the strike should even a fraction—10% or 20%—of its demands be met, Adamu refrained from commenting.
“I can’t tell you now whether I am negotiating, and I can’t pre-empt the outcome of the meeting until a consensus is reached and negotiations are concluded,” he stated.
Recalled that Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), had earlier appealed to the union to suspend the strike to allow room for dialogue with the federal government. However, the industrial action went ahead as planned.
