By VICTOR  AHIUMA-YOUNG

THE Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, and the disengaged staff of the Mainstreet Bank are trading words over the severance benefits of the ex-bankers.

While the 800 retrenched workers who were retrenched on June 22, are accusing ASSBIFI of compromise, for their inability to get their terminal benefits paid since their retrenchment, ASSBIFI, dismissed the ex-workers’ allegation, advising against lawlessness and to follow due process in the pursuit of their demands.

It will be recalled that Management of the bank had last June sacked aggrieved staff despite the directive by the labour ministry to the bank to maintain status quo pending the resolution of dispute between the bank and the union in the sector.

Since then, the workers claimed no terminal benefits had been paid to them except the one month basic salary of less than N50,000,  paid to each of them  in lieu of notice after more than 25 years of serving the bank  and its predecessor and benefactor, Afribank Nigeria Plc.

The aggrieved ex-workers have been protesting the alleged injustice and had staged peaceful protest at different places including ASSBIFI and Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos Council, secretariats.

The protesting at the NUJ secretariat, the ex-workers led by Mr. Nwajei Christopher, accused ASSBIFI of compromise and for slowing down negotiation process..

They threatened to disrupt the operations of the bank if it failed to pay their severance allowance within seven days.

Reacting to the protest, Salako advised the aggrieved workers to follow due process in the pursuit of their demands.

He said the issue was not peculiar to Mainstreet Bank adding that the union was doing its best to solve the problem, but will not deviate from following due process.

The ASSBIFI president, who noted that some other banks had equally downsized, wondered why the workers believe that the union has compromised on the issue of Mainstreet.

“Is it the only bank that can make the union compromise? What is the peculiarity of this on,´ he asked.

He said ASSBIFI will not condone lawlessness, stressing that the disengaged staff should allow the union to perform its duties as stipulated by the law.

He also said they should build on public confidence, adding that mass protest without exploring other necessary avenues would amount to eroding public confidence.