Labour dialogues with Ecobank over sack of 1,200 workers

Bank workers under that aegis of the Nigeria Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution Employees (NUBIFIE) have entered into dialogue with Ecobank Nigeria, over sack of 1,200 personnel and the bank’s non-renewal of the contract of its third party recruitment agencies.

The dialogue, which commenced yesterday, also had members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) intervening in the matter. President of NUBIFIE, Anthony Abakpa, told The Guardian that the meeting, though fruitful, will extend to Monday as no agreement was reached.

He said part of the union’s resolution with Ecobank was that it must pay the complete severance package for the workers and agreement reached on collective bargaining before they were employed.

However, Ecobank management in a statement maintains that it did not disengage any staff, stressing that they decided not to renew the contract of its third party recruitment agencies, which expired recently and as such, returned this category of personnel back to the agencies who are their employers.

The bank maintains that it was part of their business strategy to invest in the employment of full time graduates as over 300 graduates are currently undergoing training at their academy and would be absorbed at the end of their training as permanent staff.

It added that the Bank also offered them the opportunity to become Xpress point agents as a way of providing entrepreneurial and financial empowerment.