Our Striking Nation

COURTS in Nigeria are prostrate courtesy of court workers’ strike. They want improved welfare packages. The Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, ordered the nationwide, indefinite strike on February 4 after government ignored its January 19 strike notice. Cases in courts and petitions in Electoral Tribunals across the country could not be heard as workers locked out judges.
This strike gained prominence because of the importance attached to the electoral cases that are before tribunals, many of which are in their critical stages.Doctors in public hospitals are on strike, protesting government’s failure to improve their welfare packages. Expectedly, they have not got any attention from government. Most top government officials and their relations meet their medical needs abroad, and if in Nigeria, definitely not in public hospitals.

Yet, top public office holders are increasing their remunerations, under an arrangement that favours those at the top.

JUSUN, like every other trade union, has a right to demand for improved welfare packages for its members. Government’s attitude of refusing to negotiate with them is negative, unproductive, undemocratic, and results in avoidable disruption.

The losses from the strike were avoidable. It is unimaginable that with President Umaru Yar’ Adua’s acclaimed appreciation of the importance of the judiciary, the government would watch judicial workers go on strike.

After the bogus figures that the President and others are to earn, more workers may be serving strike notices. The economic situation in the country is too bad, but those at the top are ensconced from it. With all the generous perks of office, it is a total admission of the necessity of a mass realignment of remunerations for ordinary Nigerians, if it is justifiable for the President to earn more. The legislators are already demanding pay raise.

Some of the workers’ demands may be out of tune with government policies, but the best way to state this is not to ignore them.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, had served a strike notice. Last year, it called off its strike as a goodwill gesture to the new government. ASUU claims the government has failed to fulfill its obligations to its members.

Many Nigerians are embarrassed by government’s unwillingness to negotiate and have proactive plans to tackle matters, some of which have been pending for years.

Some of the issues ASUU would raise are from unfulfilled agreements, some of which are 12 years old! How can a country make progress with these standards that negate planning?

When a country is not interested in educating the youth, is unconcerned about the sick, and refuses to keep the ordinarily slow moving wheels of justice rolling, what does it offer its citizens?

Nigerians are tired of the uncertainties that strikes ensure. Life is already too difficult without further irritations.