The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) on Wedesday said it would resist the retrenchment of workers by Heritage Bank, should the union discovered that its members were affected.
Mr Sheik Mohammed, NUBIFIE’s General Secretary, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the union had yet to receive information on the details of workers affected in the sack.
NAN recalled that the bank had in December 2016, retrenched about 400
staff from the top, middle and low cadres.
It would be recalled that in June 2016, the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, had directed all financial institutions to desist from any indiscriminate sack of workers.
The bank, in October 2014, acquired Enterprise Bank with about N56 billion.
“We are trying to find out from the in-house union if 400 workers were actually sacked by the bank and how many of our members were affected.
“If our members are involved, we will resist it and ask the bank to reverse the decision because the management did not discuss with us before taking the action,’’ he said.
The union’s scribe said that it negated the rules of industrial relations practice and the Labour Act to sack and pay off workers without dialoguing with the union and reaching an agreement.
“The union was not consulted before the sack. If the workers have been paid off, the union will have to renegotiate it or we will take necessary action,’’ Mohammed told NAN.
However, Mrs Oyinkan Olasanoye, President, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institute (ASSBIFI), in her reaction, said that the bank discussed the issue with the Association in November 2016.
“We signed an agreement that only 300 workers will be retrenched but
since it is more, we have directed our in-house president to get the
details before any action,’’ Olasanoye added.
She said that ASSBIFI would not take any decision until further
details are released on the sack, because there was an agreement
reached between the union and the bank on the exercise. (NAN)