By Victor AhiumaYoung

There are strong indications that the Association of Senior Staff of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, and the management  of Heritage Bank Plc, may be heading for a slowdown this week over an alleged unprocedural sack of members of the association without entitlements.

ASSBIFI has accused Heritage Bank of disengaging over 30 of its members including a Principal National Officer in May 2023 without due process, condemning the action and describing it as an outright violation of Section 20 of the Labour Act of 2004, the ASSBIFI Industry Wide Collective Agreement, and the ILO Convention 158 on Termination of Employment. 

The was heading to a major crisis that could have disrupted the financial sector about three weeks before the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong waded into it and directed the Lagos of the Ministry to meet with parties and resolve the matter.

Before the Minister’s intervention, ASSBIFI had issued a 21-day ultimatum to meet with the Association and resolve the issue amicably or face unpleasant consequences. The ultimatum will expire on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

However, Vanguard gathered nothing has been achieved since the Minister’s intervention as ASSBIFI has accused the Bank of shying away from the resolution of the issue, but buying time which the Association vowed not to accede.

An official of ASSBIFI who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity said “We have observed that the organisation is trying to buy time because they are yet to have a discussion with us despite the directive from the Ministry that discussion must be concluded before the end of this week.

Based on this development, the Association is closely monitoring them with a view of carrying out our action as soon as the 21 days ultimatum elapses. That is the position for now.”

Recall that the Association in a statement by its Assistant General Secretary, ASG, Organising and Protocol, Babatunde Ige, yesterday, among others, said “Following the termination of employment of over 30 members of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution (ASSBIFI) by management of Heritage Bank PLC without consultation or negotiations with ASSBIFI, the representatives of the workers as provided by Section 20 of the Labour Act, 2004, the sectoral Collective Agreement and other global Labour best practices and standards, among other ASSBIFI alerted the general public of the exploitations, intimidation, oppression, deprivation and other forms of unfair labour practices being perpetrated by the management of Heritage Bank PLC on innocent and vulnerable Nigerian workers.

“The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in its powers under the Trade Union Act, intervened and invited ASSBIFI and Management of Heritage Bank PLC to a meeting on Thursday 12th October, 2023 (yesterday) to resolve the matter.

“Based on the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, ASSBIFI hereby release the following statements. In line with the non-adversarial and social dialogue policies of ASSBIFI and respect for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, our planned actions were suspended to honour the intervention and afford the management an opportunity to amicably resolve the matter.

ASSBIFI attended the meeting scheduled for Thursday 12th October, 2023. The management of Heritage Bank PLC in their characteristic and attitude to workers affairs failed to attend, requesting a reschedule of the meeting for no justifiable reasons. In recognition of laid-down rules and regulations, and respect for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, FMLE, the Leadership of ASSBIFI has agreed to honour and attend the rescheduled conciliation meeting.

“ASSBIFI has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Management, believing that is enough time for the Management of Heritage Bank to review its position and settle this matter amicably, as ASSBIFI is interested in the Bank’s progress. While we appreciate the intervention of FMLE, we hope that Heritage Bank will respect laid-down labour standards and comply with due process to prevent avoidable crisis in  the  workplace.”