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The striking Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria [JUSUN] in Ondo
State on Thursday insisted that it would continue with its on-going strike
pending the time the state government approves the agreement reached during
negotiations between the two bodies.

The union, in a statement issued by its secretary, Femi Ogunode,
said 60 percent basic pay for outfit allowance and 10 percent hazard allowance
proposed by government was unacceptable to them.

They maintained that the original position was that the state
government should implement either of the two consolidated judiciary salary
structure [CONJUSS] recommended by the federal government.

The letter said, in part: “After considering “The Caring Heart”
posture of Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his efforts to better the lots of the
people through various laudable programmes, we painfully agreed to abandon our
agitation for the implementation of either of the two salary structures
recommended by federal government.

“Instead, we opted for 85 percent basic salary for outfit
allowance, 85 percent Litigation allowance and 55 percent hazard allowance.”

Considerate staff

The judicial workers also stated that the agreement was to be
signed immediately, but the Head of Service said he would seek the approval of
Mr. Mimiko before he could endorse the agreement.

“The members of our union had sacrificed much for the state,
with the acceptance of 60 percent, 35 percent and 30 percent as outfit,
litigation and hazard allowances, respectively,” the letter said.

The Union recalled that some of their members, who were legally
qualified, had been enjoying 60 percent outfit allowance before, noting that
its members were only agitating that it should go across board.

It added that hazard and litigation allowances are exclusive of
all judicial workers nationwide.

The striking workers maintained that what they had conceded to the state
government was reasonable and urged Mr. Mimiko to approve the agreement reached
in the interest of industrial harmony in the state.