The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria on Saturday said although there were moves to finalise the Memorandum of Action reached on May 20 on its ongoing strike, discussions were still going on and should be completed.
The National Secretary of JUSUN, Isaiah Adetola, disclosed this when explaining the ongoing discussion between the Federal Government and JUSUN in a report by the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday.
He said, “State governors were not with us; so, they had to take the papers to them to endorse. By Monday or Tuesday, I think that putting signatures might go through.
“PASAN and JUSUN are asked to go and discuss with their members on the terms of the agreement because we cannot call off the strike like that.
“On the other hand, the governor’s will do theirs; so, the terms of settlement are long.
“There is also going to be state legislation which will define the resources of the state and what is expected of parties; the executive will take it as well as the legislature and judiciary.”
Adetola also urged members of the union and all who are affected by the ongoing strike to endure the hardship caused by the strike to be able to gain the benefits.
“The unions are not benefiting financially; even some of the workers concerned are not taking their salaries.
“We all have to bear it a little more, it is for the good of the country and all of us.
“By the grace of God we expect that everything will be resolved fast,” he added.
JUSUN and Parliamentary Staff Union of Nigeria had met with the Federal Government to smoothen the grey areas in the Memorandum of Action reached earlier.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had explained that it was expected that the courts and state assemblies would reopen next week since all the grey areas have been smoothened.
Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Wike has said the Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s agreement with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria is not binding on the Rivers State Government.
Wike said it was unfortunate that the NGF was signing an agreement with the striking members of JUSUN, on behalf of state governments without consulting the Rivers State Government on the issues of contention.
The governor spoke at the inauguration of the Senate Building of the Rivers State University and the foundation stone laying for the construction of the College of Medical Sciences in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The Governor in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri stated that whatever NGF has signed was also not binding on state governors, saying he cannot sign what he was already implementing, adding that the state government had commenced the implementation of “no work, no pay policy”.
He said, “Governors’ forum is not a government. It is an association of governors to share ideas and not to sign agreements on behalf of state governments. Even when they say something, I will have to come back to the state and call a State Executive Council meeting, and we will take it as our resolution that this is what we are going to do. So, whatever they have signed with JUSUN, let me tell you people, it is not binding on the Rivers State government.”
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