Controversy has trailed the recent mass sack of workers by
First Bank of Nigeria, FBN, even though the bank & its affiliate
contracting firm in charge of recruitment, Whyte Cleon Limited, have proffered different
reasons to justify the action.
At first, the First Bank spokesperson, Babatunde Lasaki ,
who confirmed the sack to The Next Edition, said the sack was based on the
resolution of an annual staff appraisal which sets a baseline to assess staff
performance.
When Mr.
Lasaki was contacted through a
mail for further clarification on the sack, his automatic email responder
machine directed the reporter to his colleague, who said those affected weren’t
"Regular staff" of First Bank, but casual workers who were hired to
give support services to the bank.
The workers, who considered themselves bona fide staff of
First Bank, by virtue of the official staff identity cards they carry & the
conditions of service given to them when they were employed, insist the manner
of their sack did not follow due process.
The workers said, contrary to what the bank would want the
public to believe on the reason for their disengagement, the real reason they
were fired was that First Bank wanted to avoid being laden with the provision
of a labour law asking employers to forcibly convert their casual workers to
permanent staff, with full benefits after their 10th year in active service.
"They are trying to wipe out the entire staff recruited
as far back as 2008, who have spent between eight & nine years in the bank.
They do not want them to attain 10 years of service so that the bank would not
be forced to convert them from non-core staff to core staff, in line with
established labour laws," one of the workers who gave his name as Jimoh
Durojaye, said on Wednesday.
Reports in the media alleging Whyte Cleon Limited ordered
the mass sack of some members of staff in the employ of First Bank Plc through
only SMS is false. The claims that Whyte Cleon Limited has been mutely laying
off its staff through only SMS is a conscious attempt to shame Whyte Cleon
Limited," the company said in a statement, sent by its rep., Seun Togan.
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