Tope Musowo
Lagos
The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees has ordered all affected banks embarking on mass downsizing in the industry to halt action or risk being picketed.
The union stressed that, incessant lay-offs in the industry is not a solution to the challenges engendered by government policies and other economic factors.
NUBIFIE made this disclosure at a recent press conference held at its secretariat in Lagos.
Comrade Danjuma Musa, the President of the Union while addressing newsmen noted further that the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, had to make a pronouncement then due to pressures mounted by NUBIFIE, he added that only ECO bank conversed with the union before taken any action.
He argued that the mass retrenchment will rather create more problem in the in already saturated labour market.
“The mass sack is against the government’s intent of job creation as afforded in the campaign promises and due process in the advent of this action being be last resort is being compromised.
“Before the current economic malaise, banks have long been engaged in anti-worker activities at different levels of exploitation. The situation in banking sector is a fall out of many years of un-banking practices coupled with laisser faire corporate mis-governance and corruption.
“Workers have always been the sacrificial lambs on the altar of corporate mis-governance and that has to stop,” Danjuma said.
NUBIFIE expressly warned employers in the sector especially Skye Bank, Diamond Bank, ECO Bank and others to halt all intended retrenchment, as further violation would attract forceful closure.
“Defaulting employer would have themselves to blame as the union is prepared to close down the branch networks without further notice”.
However, the Union while fielding questions from journalists on what happens in a situation where an employer say it no longer have the financial capacity to continue paying its staff, NUBIFIE said,”we cannot force a willing employee on an unwilling employer but what we are saying is that, where lay-off become necessary, there is a procedure to follow, there should be collective bargaining ,the employer have to ensure that such employee is adequately compensated, that is the rule of engagement”, said, Mohammed I Sheikh, the General Secretary.
