Abuja – Customers of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc on Friday in Abuja expressed happiness over the suspension of picketing of the bank by the NLC.

The suspension, which was effected on Friday, followed an agreement reached between the NLC and the bank, which had accepted all the demands made by the bank’s workers.

The bank’s chapter of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) had demanded recognition by the management of the bank.

It also demanded the recall of 300 sacked workers and the reversal of the transfer of 13 other employees moved to “remote places’’ as punitive measure for belonging to ASSBIFI.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the picketing began nationwide on Feb. 14,

following the refusal of the bank’s management to accede to the demands of ASSBIFI.

A customer, Mr Sani Aliyu, told NAN that it was a relief that the bank decided to accede to the demands of the workers’ union so that customers could transact business with the bank.

“I am happy that they resolved their problems because why some of us are banking with Union Bank is due to their credibility in the past and we still believe that it is still credible.

“I believe that if Union Bank could have a good industrial relationship with its workers, Union Bank would continue to grow.

“There is no organisation that will succeed without having a harmonious relationship with its workers and customers as well,” he said.

Mrs Alice Ebo, another customer, said that she was happy that the issue had been resolved harmoniously.

“How can a family meet up certain exigencies without finance and you have your money locked up in a bank?” she queried.

She said that there was the need for the bank and the union to settle amicably because customers might need to transact business with the bank.

Ebo said that the management of the bank should ensure that avoided such problems in the future.

Another customer, Mr Sani Aliyu, thanked the management of the bank for acceding to the demands of the union.

“The closing of the bank was not pleasant to us as customers. My business has almost come to a stop, because, I had some cheques issued to me that required clearance and I was unable to do that and other transactions,” he said.

Aliyu said that he hoped that the management of the bank had settled the issue once and for all.

A NAN correspondent who visited some of the bank’s branches reported that there were long queues of customers waiting to get service, but the bank had technical hitches with the internet operations and could not serve them speedily.
(NAN)