Workers of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, on Friday protested the non-payment of salaries owed them by the Edo State Government.

The over 250 workers, who were all dressed in black, marched with placards from the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre to the State High Court complex on Sapele road, Benin, the state capital.

According to the State Chairman of the union, Mr. Uyi Ogieriakhi, the workers were yet to receive their 2014 July salary as well as the January and February 2015 salaries, following their participation in the nationwide strike.

Ogieriakhi lamented the government’s insistence on not paying the salaries. This, he explained, had brought hardship on the workers’ families, as many of them had been unable ‎to provide for their children.

While federal courts in Edo have been open for service since January 26, the state courts have remained shut, following the failure of the JUSUN and the state government to reach an agreement.

But the union maintained that it was fighting a just course and urged the government to pay the outstanding salaries and release funds for the current and recurrent expenditures in order for the courts to be reopened.

He, however, vowed that the strike would continue until the workers’ demands were met.

‎Ogieriakhi said, “We will not go back on this strike. We know the consequence of what we are doing; we also know the gains and we want to say that the gains are more than the consequences.

“We are on black because their families ‎are mourning, the judiciary workers are suffering and our children are hungry. We beg the governor, as father, to also listen to the voice of the people so that this country will move forward.

‎”Edo State Government should pay the July, January and February salaries as well as the release of funds of both current and recurrent expenditure. At that point we will call off the strike.‎”

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