Serious Tension Coming from All Nigerians Banks, As Bank Workers Are Set To Shut Down All ATM And Go On An Indefinite Strike On Agreed Date.
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Report indicates that Bank workers under the aegis of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, have given a notice to the Federal Government of their intention to embark on an indefinite strike.
This came barely one month after University Lecturers and Resident Doctors called off their nationwide industrial actions.
An official of the Association, who disclosed this on condition of anonymity, said the sack of 281 workers by one of the old generation Banks was not justified, as it did not align with the Labour Act and Collective Agreement.
To drive home its resolve, the source said the Association had forwarded a letter to the Federal Government through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, notifying it of the Association’s intention to commence the industrial action, beginning with the affected Bank on October 24, before inviting other Banks to participate.
According to the letter dated October 11, 2017, and referenced ANS/ORG/ GO/YOS/338, which was obtained the Association, noted that its decision followed previous notice already given to the Bank on September 29, after several letters and meetings to enable both parties to resolve the impasse over the workers’ improper lay off.
According to the letter: “We will commence our action by calling on fellow Nigerians to make some withdrawals from their accounts with the Bank, to enable them to have enough provisions for the period of the industrial dispute.
“Also, if there is no quick response, other Banks will be called out on sympathy strike by the Association.”
Recalls, that in the last one year, over 10,000 workers lost their jobs across all the Banks in the country.
A recent statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, revealed that 8,663 workers lost their jobs in the first half of 2017. The data showed that an average of 360 people were sacked every week, from January to June 2017.
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