Bimbola Oyesola
The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) yesterday warned that it would shut down all First Bank operations nationwide should its management proceed with the planned retrenchment over 1000 workers across board. This was even as the union has directed its members not to accept any disengagement letters from the bank without authorisation by it.
President of the Union, Anthony Abakpa, in a telephone conversation with the Daily Sun said that the bank has concluded plans to sack the workers without following due process.
“We got the information this morning that First Bank Nigeria is going to distribute letters to over 1000 members of the workforce today without negotiating with the union,” he said.
Abakpa said NUBIFIE would resist the bank’s action and would shut down all its operations nationwide since its believes its action runs contrary to extant labour law in the country.
He noted that the union would force the bank to respect labour laws, by adhering to laid down guidelines to negotiate good severance packages before sacking workers.
“We believe in dialogue and collective bargaining agreement. Any action alien to labour law will be unacceptable because we will not support plans that are not in the interest of workers,” he said.
The NUBIFIE President said the union has alerted its parent body, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Ministry of Labour and Employment, on the bank’s plan and the actions it would be taking to counter the planned sack.
He said, “We’ve also communicated with our sister union in the bank, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) so that all of us will be on the same page.
“The Ministry has promised to call the bank for a meeting tomorrow. We got to know that they said the number is not up to 1000, but they are not denying that they have it in the pipeline to sack workers at this period of the year. We consider this unacceptable, especially as the union was not carried along.”
The ASSBIFI President, Oyinkansola Olasanoye, also confirmed that the bank was in the process of disengaging the workers.
She however said she was in contact with the NUBIFIE leadership and has put her members on the alert should there be need for any industrial action against the bank.
As at the time of filling this report, First Bank management was yet to release any official statement to confirm or refute the story.