LEADERS of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, its affiliate, National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, NUBIFIE, and other activists, yesterday, shut down the operations of Diamond Bank Plc’s Head Office, and two other key branches in Lagos, over alleged labour infractions, including the sack of 200 union members and officials.
The Adeola Hopewell Head Office and two other branches considered vital to the bank’s effective transactions were shut, preventing customers and others from gaining access into the bank.
The aggrieved labour leaders and activists, displayed several placards with inscriptions such as ‘Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Diamond Bank has closed door against workers, do not keep silent,’ ‘core staff or not we are all workers of Diamond Bank Plc,’ ‘Equals should be treated equally,’ among others.
The picketing, according to leaders of NLC and NUBIFIE, was prompted by the alleged refusal of the management of the bank to, among others, reinstate the sacked workers, even when the National Industrial Court, NIC and Ministry of Labour and Productivity, advised it to do so.
They were said to have arrived the bank’s head office few minutes past 8a.m., barricaded it and ensured that its operations were crippled.
But in an unsigned statement by the bank, it said “Third party support personnel posted to Diamond Bank have recently had challenges with their Employer –C & M Exchange. As these issues are yet to be resolved, the third party personnel would like Diamond Bank to intercede to resolve the differences.
“Diamond Bank remains concerned about the working conditions and welfare of its entire staff, both contractual and full time.
“As such, we are currently discussing intensely with C & M Exchange to ensure they resolve the issues with their employees in a swift and amicable manner.
“Please, be assured that normal banking operations continue at our locations nationwide.”
Speaking, NUBIFIE President, Danjuma Musa, said the picketing became imperative after the management demonstrated unwillingness to heed the order of NIC to reinstate sacked workers.
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