By Enyim Enyim

ONITSHA—Judiciary workers in Anambra state yesterday began an indefinite strike over non payment of consolidated judiciary salary structure by the state government.

Speaking  with Vanguard, the chairman of the workers union, JUSUN, Mr Mark Ifezue said the strike was a directive from the national secretariat of their union.

“ The reason for the strike is the refusal of the state government to review an agreement it entered with the judiciary service in Anambra state in 2011 over the Consolidated Judiciary Salary Structure,CONJUS.We negotiated with government but the attitude of the state’s Head of Service did not allow anything meaningful to come out of the negotiation.”

Ifezue said the development led to the collapse of the negotiation and the union had no option than to resume the strike.

He further said the union had written a letter to the state government through the head of service in 2014 requesting for a meeting where the agreement would be reviewed but all to no avail, adding that sometime in June this year, another letter was written to government through the same head of service and yet another one through the state Attorney General.

According to him, it was the last letter through the Attorney General that propelled government to open up the failed negotiation. He said that when the negotiation collapsed, the union told the HoS that the government position was not acceptable to the workers.

He said the worrisome aspect of the matter was that some states in the south east like Abia, Imo and Ebonyi had started paying the CONJUS to their judiciary workers.

“ We have embarked on an indefinite strike and we will continue to stay at home until the state government addresses the issue positively.”