Fidelity Bank Plc workers across the country have threatened to cripple business activities of the bank if in five days the bank’s management fail to meet their demand to settle outstanding entitlements.
The workers, under the aegis of Concerned Note Counters Association of Fidelity Bank (CNCAFB) and Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN) are reacting to a statement credited to Charles Aigb, Bank’s Divisional Head, Brand and Communications, on September 26.
Aigbe had alleged that the employees of the bank are deliberately casting aspersions on the bank in order to give it a bad name and that the social media attacks on the bank was being orchestrated by outsourced workers.
“Our attention has been drawn to the planned disruption of service and social media attacks on the bank by a few outsourced staff who were recently recalled by their employers.
“The move, which is the handiwork of the outsourced staff who were on secondment to the bank as note counters, is aimed at casting the bank in a bad light. Their employers have confirmed to the bank that their recall was conducted in line with their existing contracts and according to extant labour laws.
“As a responsible financial institution, operating in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is guided by the laws of the land. While we are not against the right to lawful assembly, the planned actions directed at Fidelity Bank, by these misguided individuals, are clearly unwarranted and misdirected.”
But reacting through a statement jointly signed by Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, Director of Media of GICN and Josiah Olusanya, Welfare Officer of CNCAFB; which was made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday, the employees faulted the Bank’s claims, insisting that they are not “contract staff” .
“Let it be put on record that Note Counters are not “contract staff”. They cannot be used, ill-treated and dumped at will by Fidelity Bank without being paid terminal benefits,” they stated.
According to them, Note Counters were employed by Fidelity Union Securities Ltd (FUSL), and were all seconded to Fidelity Bank Plc and bear the Identity Card of the bank as well as received salaries from the said Bank.
