17th May, 2012
In a bid to forestall the disruption of its operations by its former employees who are planning to protest over the failure of Union Bank Plc to pay their terminal benefits, the management of the bank has dragged some of its former staff before the National Industrial Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
The former staff, whose services were terminated during a mass retrenchment by the bank between 2006 and 2008 were alleged to have vowed to relocate with their entire families including domestic staff to the bank’s premises throughout the country to press home the demand for the payment of their benefits.
However, in their reaction, the ex-staff through Mr. Victor Gbade Adefisan and Sampson City Nnabushci, who are the national coordinator and general secretary respectively, accused the management of the bank of denying them of the balance of their gratuity.
According to them, before the coming to office of the present administration of the bank, they have made individual and collective demands for the balance of their short paid gratuity and pension allowances to the previous management, who instructed the human resources department to compute the figures in batches within its approval limits, but this could not be achieved before its leadership was removed from office.
The former bankers claimed that they have sent letters to major stakeholders in the presidency, the National Assembly, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Minister of Labour and Productivity as well as the Director General of State Security Services, SSS, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Citizens Mediation Centre, ASSBIFI, Trade Union Congress and the in-house union, who all encouraged the bank to follow the path of justice and rule of law and comply with the content of the extant collective agreement, but this has been to no avail.
The former staff lamented that many of them have died due to hardship while many can no longer provide basic domestic needs for themselves and their families.
Meanwhile, Justice O.A Obaseki Osaghae has adjourned the case till 30 May, 2012.