Judicial workers under the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in Kwara State have commenced an indefinite strike to press home their demand for the implementation of an improved salary structure that has remained unaddressed for 15 years.
The strike, which began Monday, has led to the complete shutdown of court activities across the state, including the State High Court, Magistrate Courts, and Customary Courts. Members of the union say they will not return to work until their demands are fully met.
Speaking to journalists in Ilorin, the state capital, the JUSUN Chairman, Comrade Habeeb Agboola, explained that the Consolidated Judiciary Salary Structure (CONJUSS) was approved during the administration of former Governor Bukola Saraki but has never been implemented by successive governments.
Agboola lamented that judicial staff in the state are still being paid based on an outdated salary scale that no longer reflects their workload, qualifications, or current economic realities.
“We are tired of earning salaries that were set over a decade ago, despite repeated calls for review and implementation of CONJUSS. Our colleagues in other states are enjoying better remuneration, but Kwara judicial workers have been left behind,” he said.
According to him, the union has written several letters to Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq’s administration and other relevant authorities, calling attention to the matter, but none of the communications has received a response.
He stressed that the strike will continue for as long as necessary until the state government takes the demands seriously and implements the long-overdue salary structure.
“This strike is total and indefinite. No court will operate in Kwara State until our issues are addressed. We are only asking for what is fair and just,” Agboola declared.
The leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch, has thrown its weight behind the industrial action, describing it as legal, necessary, and long overdue.
NBA Ilorin Chairman, Barrister Kamaldeen Kosemani, said the strike action was a legitimate way for judicial workers to express their dissatisfaction over the state government’s silence and failure to act on the matter.
“The strike action is a strong and lawful tool to register displeasure. The judiciary cannot function effectively if those who run the system are not treated with dignity,” Kosemani said.
He added that the NBA is particularly concerned because the continued closure of the courts will not only deny citizens access to justice but also paralyse legal activities and delay numerous ongoing cases.
“We urge the Kwara State Government to immediately open dialogue with JUSUN and resolve the matter amicably. The judiciary is a crucial arm of government and should not be neglected,” the NBA Chairman stressed.
JUSUN’s strike is the latest in a series of industrial actions across various states in Nigeria, where judiciary workers have been agitating for better pay and working conditions. The union has consistently argued that the judiciary, being a separate arm of government, deserves financial autonomy, both at the federal and state levels.
The Consolidated Judiciary Salary Structure was introduced to bring uniformity and fairness to the payment of judicial staff across the country, but implementation has remained inconsistent in many states.
While some states have fully implemented CONJUSS, others, like Kwara, have delayed or failed to adopt the new structure, leaving judicial workers frustrated and underpaid.
In addition to salary issues, some judiciary workers in Kwara also complain of poor working conditions, outdated infrastructure, and lack of basic tools to carry out their duties efficiently.
The current strike action has already started affecting legal proceedings in the state. Litigants, lawyers, and court users who arrived at courts on Monday met locked gates, with notices pasted on entrances informing them of the indefinite industrial action.
Several lawyers and court users expressed concern over the strike, saying it could lead to unnecessary delay in the dispensation of justice. “We came for a case today only to meet the court under lock and key. It’s frustrating, but we understand the reasons behind the action,” said a lawyer who gave his name as Barrister Ahmed.
JUSUN has said it is open to dialogue but insists it will not call off the strike unless there is a firm and verifiable commitment from the state government to implement the new salary structure without further delay.
Meanwhile, as of press time, the Kwara State Government has yet to issue any official statement in response to the strike.
With courts now shut down indefinitely, pressure is mounting on the state government to act quickly and resolve the matter before the strike causes further disruption to the state’s justice system.
