By Fidelis Soriwei, Lekan Adetayo and Ademola Alawiye

Tuesday, 15 Feb 2011

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday carried on with its planned decision to picket the Union Bank of Nigeria’s Headquarters and its branches nationwide.

Our correspondent, who monitored the exercise at the Marina headquarters of the bank, in Lagos, on Monday, witnessed a large crowd in front of the bank chanting labour songs, as they barred people from entering the bank.

The NLC in a circular made available to our correspondent on Monday said that the picketing would continue if the current labour issues were not addressed.

It said, “It should be noted that this will be at the first instance as congress will direct workers to join in a solidarity national industrial action if the labour situation in the bank does not change for the better after February 21, 2011, and the Federal Ministry of Labour continues to abet the illegality perpetuated by the management.”

The President, NLC, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, told our correspondent that the right to picket Union Bank premises was fundamental and legal.

He said, “The right to picket the Union Bank or any other business premises is fundamental and is legal under Section 42 of the Trade Union Act.”

Meanwhile, the bank in a statement, said that the operations of Union Bank’s branches in Lagos and most parts of the nation had remained uninterrupted despite attempts to picket the bank by the NLC against a court order restraining the union.

It said, “The bank had reiterated that the propaganda to portray the management as anti-union is incorrect. The irrefutable facts of the bank’s tireless efforts to engage the NLC in dialogue and consultations on all issues affecting the staff is clear, while NLC is making every effort to put the workers’ jobs at risk by trying to disrupt operations.”

The management of the bank had said it ceased to recognise the existence of the Union Bank Association of Senior Staff and the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions in the bank.

The Managing Director, Union Bank, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, noted that the decision was taken, following unlawful operations of the two unions.

As early as 7.30am, officials of the NLC led by a Deputy National President of the Congress, Mr. Promise Adewusi, had locked up the gate of the head office of the UBN at Area ‘3’, Abuja.

Although, the gate was forced open by the management of UBN, the protesting members of the NLC besieged the bank and brought its operations to a halt by 9am.

A combined team of security operatives including the Police, the State Security Services and the Civil Defence Corps, led by a Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Victor Erivwode, could not prevent Adewusi and his team from stopping the operations of the branch.

The NLC in Kaduna also picketed the bank’s branches in the state.

NLC’s Vice-Chairman in the state, Mr Isa Ibrahim, told NAN that the picketing became necessary following the bank’s failure to reconsider its decision.

Meanwhile, members of the Oyo State chapter of the NLC picketed some branches of Union Bank located in Ibadan, the state capital.

The workers, led by the Chairman of the state chapter, Mr. Lamidi Apapa, led others to picket the branches located in Dugbe, Lebanon, Agodi and other major areas of Ibadan.

They called for the immediate removal of the bank’s Group Managing Director, Mrs. Funke Osibodu.

Source: Punch