Sacked Mainstreet Bank Workers Protest

Retrenched workers of the Mainstreet Bank Limited have protested at the gate to the National Assembly Complex, Abuja calling on the lawmakers to intervene in their case.

The workers were protesting the non-payment of the entitlements of about 670 staff members sacked across the country by the management of the bank since June, 2012.

Mr Usanga Eyo, a representative of the workers said the protest was organised to call the attention of the National Assembly to their plight.

He said that they were sacked without any reason.

“We are not saying that the management does not have the right to disengage staff members.

“As at the time our appointments were terminated last June, Mainstreet Bank forced many of our members to sign an undertaking not to?take the bank to court before the balance of the car loans we got were written off as ex-gratia.

“The bank subsequently gave wide publicity to the payment of the ex-gratia in the newspapers, making the whole world believe they were magnanimous.

Eyo said that when they were paid their?gratuity, the bank deducted all the already written off car and Afribank Nigeria PLC shares loans, “in order to put our account in debit”.

He said “we find it difficult to understand why the bank’s executive management decided to take this hard and unkind stance knowing full well that we were all forced?by the executive management’s predecessors to take the loan and?buy the Afribank shares.’’

He said that the group had written letters to the National Assembly Committees on Banking and Finance, the Minister Labour and Productivity, informing them of their plight.

Eyo also said that letters of complaint were also sent to the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSUBIFI).

“Up until now, we have not had any reply to the letters we wrote.

“It is more sad that even?ASSUBIFI that is supposed to protect us, turned its back on us.

“Keystone and Enterprise, the other nationalised banks have paid their sacked workers all their entitlements.

“We are asking Mainstreet Bank?to pay us our entitlements?to enable us?pay the outstanding loans to the bank.

Meanwhile, all efforts to speak with Mr Nduneche Ezurike, the spokesman and Head, Corporate Affairs Department of Mainstreet Bank, proved abortive as he had switched off his phone.