CDWR CONDEMNS THE ILLEGAL SACK OF WORKERS BY MANAGEMENT OF ZENITH BANK PLC
Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR)
CDWR CONDEMNS THE ILLEGAL SACK OF WORKERS BY MANAGEMENT OF ZENITH BANK PLC
FOR RECALL OF ALL SACKED WORKERS WITHOUT LOSS OF PAY
The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) condemns the illegal sack of workers by the Zenith Bank management.
On 25th July 2011, Zenith Bank Plc sacked three hundred and twenty (320) System Administrators in its Infotech Department. This sack came as a rude shock to workers who had rendered committed services to the organization. The affected workers had spent between two to eighteen years in the bank.
These workers were sacked because they resisted management attempt to convert them to casual staff. This was more so without any prior discussion or agreement.
Also condemnable is the use of armed security personnel by the Zenith Bank management to harass workers in order to enforce the sack.
Obviously, the aim of this contract system that led to the unjust sack is to drive down wage in order to guarantee super profit to very few privileged bank’s chiefs.
For instance, the letter of disengagement did not emanate from Zenith bank Plc, but from one company known as People Plus Management Services Ltd whose directors, according to the sacked workers, are Godwin Emefiele Ifeanyi, Amangbo Peter Olisemedua and Igbin-Akenzua Elias Eboigbe who are also top management staff of Zenith Bank. Godwin Emefiele is the Managing Director (MD)/CEO of Zenith Bank while Amangbo Peter and Igbin-Akenzua are Executive Directors of Zenith Bank. These top Zenith Bank chiefs are using People Plus Management Services Limited as a front company to casualise workers under contract system with the aim to further drive down wage and make huge money for themselves
Besides, One Mr. Mathew Atarere who signed the sack letter on behalf of People Plus Management Services Ltd as consultant was formally the Secretary to the former MD of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia.
The workers such as note counters, secretaries, drivers, dispatch riders, security staff, maintenance, etc., who were formerly working directly with Zenith Bank but now contracted out to People plus Management Services Ltd as casuals are being denied some allowances such as Profit-sharing Allowance, Medical allowance, etc.
Since the sack, the workers have not been paid their terminal benefits, despite being formally and properly employed by Zenith Bank. It is callous for workers to be thrown out of job for the past one year without full entitlements. This has put their family into serious economic crises. Indeed, children of some of them are currently out of school. Besides, some of the workers are facing life-threatening ailment while 4 of the workers have been sent to their early grave duo to shock and difficult economic situation.
However, workers have waited for the past one year, hoping that management of Zenith Bank would see reason and do the right thing by re-instating the workers or paying adequate severance compensation, but all to no avail.
CDWR calls for the immediate re-instatement of all affected workers without loss of pay. We call on National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution Employee (NUBIFIE) and Association of Senior Bank and Insurance Financial Institution Employee (ASBIFIE) to actively intervene in this matter with the aim of reinstating all affected by workers by naming a day of mass picketing of the corporate headquarters of the bank. The CDWR commends the steadfastness of the affected workers. We urge them to remain resolute and continue to mount pressure on the trade unions with the demand for a day of action. We also call on trade union activists within and outside banking sector to support the struggle of these sacked workers.