Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) has threatened to deploy all networks to mobilise affiliate trade unions and workers to picket Heritage Bank’s head office over alleged wrongful disengagement and refusal to settle severance benefits of over 30 exited workers.
Olusoji Oluwole, national president of ASSBIFI, decried the unfair labour practices being perpetuated against workers employed by the lender.
Addressing a press conference, he expressed fears about the safety of affiliated unions’ salaries and Nigerians, who have their salaries and savings domiciled in the bank, especially on alleged recent publications that have put the health of the bank to question.
He alleged that since new management took over, there has been a series of unfair labour practices on the vulnerable workers and consistently abused the relationship built over the years despite overtures made by the union deploying social dialogue and its non-adversarial policy.
Oluwole alleged the sack of 30 workers, who are members of ASSBIFI, including its principal national officer in May, without due process.
According to him, “This action is an outright violation of Section 20 of the Labour Act, Cap L1, LFN 2004, the ASSBIFI industry-wide collective agreement, and the ILO Convention 158 on Termination of Employment.”
Despite moves by the union to demand justice for the workers, he alleged the bank insisted on terminating the employment of the workers based on their company policy, without negotiation or dialogue with the union as provided by law.
He alleged that after three months, the union requested the bank to supply the details of payments and settlements of severance benefits paid to the disengaged employees as claimed, but the bank has not been able to produce the documents.
Stating that the employees have served the bank for periods covering between five and 25 years, Oluwole said: “Heritage Bank asked the workers to go home empty-handed. This is exploitation and injustice of the worst order. It is wrong, unjust, and insensitive and we strongly object to this slavery.
“ASSBIFI shall not hesitate to deploy all its networks and contracts to mobilise affiliate trade unions and Nigerian workers towards protecting the rights and privileges of our members in this institution,” he added.
However, efforts to reach the media team of Heritage Bank proved abortive as calls placed were not responded to.
