NUBIFIE Threatens to Shut Down First Bank over Planned Sack of Workers.

Operations of one of Nigeria’s oldest banks, First Bank Nigeria may be disrupted from today 21st Nov., 2019, if it goes ahead with an alleged plan to retrench about 1000 of its works force.

The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) has vowed to shut down its operations nationwide, if the plan materializes.

The union gave the warning on Wednesday, directing its members not to accept any disengagement letters from the bank without authorisation by it.

President of the Union, Anthony Abakpa, stated that the bank has concluded plans to sack the workers without following due process.

“We got the information this morning that First Bank Nigeria is going to distribute letters to over 1000 members of the workforce today without negotiating with the union,” he said.

Abakpa said NUBIFIE would resist the bank’s action and would shut down all its operations nationwide since its believes its action runs contrary to extant labour law in the country.

He further stated that he believes in dialogue and collective bargaining agreement and that any action alien to labour law will be unacceptable because he will not support plans that are not in the interest of the workers.

Continuing, the union president explained that NUBIFIE has already alerted the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Ministry of Labour and Employment on the bank’s plan and the actions it would be taking to counter the planned sack.

He said: “We’ve also communicated with our sister union in the bank, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) so that all of us will be on the same page.