ASSBIFI threatens to picket Heritage Bank over mass sack of workers

Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), has condemned the disengagement and refusal to settle severance benefits of it’s over 30 exited members by the management of Heritage Bank. It also said the decision was an outright violation of Section 20 of the Labour Act.

Comrade Olusoji Oluwole, president of ASSBIFI, at a press briefing in Lagos at the weekend, said the management of Heritage Bank, after three months, has refused any dialogue with the union as provided by law, by insisting to have terminated the workers’ appointment based on their company policy.

Oluwole, emphasised that the union will not allow the unfair labour practices being perpetrated against hardworking and struggling Nigerian workers em­ployed in Heritage Bank PLC, especially the over 30 members of ASSBIFI, including a principal national officer of the associ­ation in May, 2023 without due process to continue without recourse to due process.

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He said: “ASSBIFI will deploy all its networks and contacts to mobilise affiliate trade unions and Nigerian workers towards protecting the rights and privileges of our members in Heritage Bank PLC., over 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.

“Our frustration trying to amicably settle the myriad of unfair labour practices that the management of Heritage Bank has continually perpetrated on vulnerable Nigerian workers.

“This action was condemned by ASS­BIFI as 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, which specifically provided that “the employment of a workers hall not to be be terminated unless there is a valid reason for such termination”.

“This has been rightly recognized by the National Industrial Court (NIC), and we abide by it.

He specifically said: “As the Statutory Representative of Senior Employees in the Nigeria Financial Sector, and in line with our policy on social dialogue, ASSBIFI en­gaged the management of Heritage Bank on several occasions to demand justice for the vulnerable Nigerian workers’ whose employment were wrongfully terminated.

“The management insisted to have terminated the workers based on their company policy, without negotiation or dialogue with the Union as provided by law.

“ASSBIFI requested the Management of the Bank to supply the Company Policy and Details of the claimed payments and settlements of the severance benefits paid to the disengaged Employees.