By Kelechi Mgboji
Assistant Business Editor
An ultimatum of 21 days has been issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to banks to recall over 10,000 sacked workers or face a long and hard battle.
Labour leaders met with bank representatives in Lagos where they described the firings as illegal because stakeholders were not consulted.
A communique signed by factional NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said over 10,000 bank workers have been affected by the sack gale in the past few days with the spill over effects on more than 200,000 Nigerians.
“The NLC … calls on the culpable banks to quickly redress their steps by immediately calling back the illegally sacked workers.
“There are no circumstances sufficient for the resort to lawlessness as the banks have chosen to do and whosoever advised the banks to toe this dangerous path cannot mean well for the banks and the nation as a whole,” the communique said.
“If banks, however, after correcting themselves … insist on sacking the affected workers, they must comply with the procedure for embarking on such unfortunate exercise.
“Congress will be forced to take all necessary steps to assist the banks see the need to comply with the laws of Nigeria if after 21 days of this release the illegally sacked workers are not recalled by the affected banks.
“We advise all affiliates and state councils to start immediate mobilisation against these banks as we work with other segments of the society to compel them to work within the ambits of our laws and the traditions and ethos governing industrial relations practice in Nigeria.”
Labour expressed concern over a situation where banks’ junior workers are made scapegoats while top management staff with a huge wage bill that constitutes significant strain on earnings get spared.
It commended the Ministry of Labour for urging the banks not to lay-off their staff and the proposed penalty but urged the ministry to anchor its request on the illegality of the actions.
“On the basis of this, Nigerian workers demand that the ministry goes beyond the call and seek a reversal of the illegality.
“This is to avoid a dangerous precedence from being set where an employer can just wake up and sack hundreds of its workforce without recourse to the laws of the land.
“We must not encourage lawlessness in Nigeria, no matter who is involved, especially in sensitive matters that deal with the livelihood of a large number of Nigerians.”