Judicial Editors Forum Calls For Dialogue Over JUSUN’s 5-Month Wage Award, N70k Minimum Wage Implementation & 25/35% Salary Increase Demands

<h4>Judicial Editors Forum Calls For Dialogue<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that the Judicial Editors Forum &lpar;JEF&rpar; on Tuesday&comma; urged the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria &lpar;JUSUN&rpar;&comma; to engage in fruitful dialogue in a bid to end the lingering industrial action in the country&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>JEF made this known in a statement to newsmen in Lagos&comma; signed by Chairman of the forum&comma; Mr&period; Samuel Popoola&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>JUSUN had by a circular of May 30&comma; mandated all its chapters&comma; to direct all their members to stay home&comma; effective June 1&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The union said that the action is to press home their demand for payment of five months wage award&comma; implementation of the N70&period;000 minimum wage&comma; as well as the 25&sol;35 per cent salary increase&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>On Monday&comma; Federal courts across the country were shut down following the strike action&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Lawyers&comma; court officials&comma; as well as litigants&comma; who had come to court early&comma; were forced to return home as they were all denied access into the court&&num;8217&semi;s premises&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In its statement&comma; JEF urged parties to return to the dialogue room&comma; and ensure that a fruitful settlement is achieved in the interest of the litigating public&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The Judicial Editors Forum&comma; as a stakeholder in the judiciary&comma; lends its voice along with other well meaning Nigerians&comma; to call for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing industrial action by JUSUN<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The demands are clear&comma; but the most important things at this point is how to chart a way forward&comma; and ensure a progressive outcome&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Actions like these are not uncommon in a democratic society where the rule of law prevails&comma; however&comma; it is instructive that parties allow greater wisdom prevail&comma; least we allow things fall apart&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The experiences of both litigants&comma; lawyers&comma; judicial and non judicial staff&comma; including visitors who were returned home out of frustration on Monday&comma; is quite sad&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;In a democratic dispensation&comma; the judiciary remains the only temple of justice and last hope of the common man&comma; who literarily &&num;8220&semi;lays his life at the feet of the court&&num;8221&semi;&comma; while seeking justice&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;If the courtrooms remain closed&comma; it also means that the expectations and&sol;or hopes of many litigants&comma; may be dashed&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;I hereby&comma; call on the Federal Government and JUSUN&comma; to return to the negotiation table&comma; and make conscious efforts to find lasting solutions to the issues raised&comma;&&num;8221&semi; he said<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>JUSUN had vowed to continue the strike action until further notice&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>At press time&comma; the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos&comma; remained closed to judicial activities&comma; as no staff was seen around&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Meanwhile&comma; the State High courts and Magistrates&&num;8217&semi; Court are not affected by the strike action&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;