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Tag: Retrenchment

  • Reps commence probe into alleged forceful retrenchment of CBN staff

    Reps commence probe into alleged forceful retrenchment of CBN staff

    Speaker of House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has urged all relevant stakeholders to collaborate with the house in its investigation on the alleged forceful retirement of no fewer than 1,000 staff members of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    Abbas made the call at the opening of the hearing, organised by the ad hoc committee on the investigation of the termination and dismissal of the CBN staffers, in Abuja on Friday.

    Abbas said that the stakeholders included: CBN, Federal Character Commission and Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity.

    Represented by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, Abbas said that the focus was on the recent termination and dismissal of staffers and the subsequent payment of N50 billion severance package.

    He said that the investigation was not merely procedural, but stemmed from the collective responsibility to uphold transparency, accountability and fairness among all arms of government and their agencies.

    The speaker said that the committee had been tasked with the responsibility of examining several critical aspects of the matter, which included understanding the rationale behind the decision to lay off some staff members.

    He said that the impacts of such a significant workforce reduction on the individuals, their families and the broader economy could not be overlooked by the parliament.

    The lawmaker said that the committee would scrutinise the process through which the N50 billion severance package was determined.

    According to him, transparency in such matters is key to maintaining public trust as well as ensuring the integrity of the institutions.

    “I will like to express my gratitude to the representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria, but who have failed to honour the invitation to participate in this hearing.

    “I have looked through the room and have not seen a representative during the course of the introduction that came from the key institution in the subject matter of this investigation, that is the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    “I am sure that invitation was extended to them. I’m wondering why they are not in this room on the request of the parliament.

    “It is our intention that you cooperate with us because your cooperation is vital as we seek to uncover the facts, provide clarity to Nigerians and ultimately restore confidence in the integrity of government institutions.

    “As we proceed with this investigative hearing, we urge that all the stakeholders appearing before the ad hoc committee comply with the provisions of Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution Federal Republic of Nigeria to enable us carry out our mandate.

    “Let us remain steadfast in our commitment to justice, accountability and the greater good of our nation,” he said.

    Abbas expressed the hope that by the end of the year, all the controversies surrounding the CBN action would have been cleared, while ensuring that it aligned with the principles of fairness, equity and the rule of law.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Rep. Bello Kumo, pledged the committee’s commitment to carrying out the assignment diligently.

    Kumo assured that the committee would discharge its responsibility with thoroughness, transparency and fairness.

    “Our primary aim in this fact-finding mission is to ensure that we deliver our mandate as representatives of the silent majority and ensure that civil servants or the staff of CBN are not, in any way, short-changed.

    “Our responsibility is to serve as an umpire, a very neutral and balanced umpire,” he said.

    He, however, frowned at the absence of CBN officials, insisting that the committee would not hesitate to invoke the law against any stakeholder who failed to appear for the hearing.

  • Retrenchment: We why didn't renew contracts of affected staff – Ecobank

    …says over N500m paid as severance packages and other palliative measures
    The management of Ecobank on Wednesday explained why it did not renew contracts of its Vendor Managed Personnel.
    Recall that TNG exclusively reported on Tuesday that over 1,500 staff were affected by the bank’s recent retrenchment exercise. However, the bank in a statement on Wednesday said it did not disengage its staff but decided not to renew the contract of its third party recruitment agencies which expired recently and as such returned this category of personnel back to these agencies who are their employers.

    Investigations by TNG revealed that Ecobank has working relationships with three outsourcing firms; ICS, VLA and L&B. Findings also showed that the bank is gradually winding down partnerships with the outsourcing firms with its recent launch of its academy to train fresh graduates for subsequent direct employment into the system. Hence, the massive termination of appointments of staff earlier recruited by the outsourcing firms.

    According to the bank, 332 graduates are currently undergoing intensive training at Ecobank Academy in preparation for full employment into Ecobank Nigeria. The programme combines the three categories of Entry Level, Graduate and Management Trainees with a program duration of 2months, 12months and 21months respectively.

    It however said the affected staff have been duly paid their severance package to the tune of over a billion naira through their respective recruitment agencies. The bank also said qualified affected staff can reapply for direct employment to the bank.
    Read the bank’s full statement below:

    Media Statement

    Cessation of Contract Engagement of Vendor Managed Personnel

    1. Ecobank Nigeria did not disengage its staff. The bank decided not to renew the contract of its third party recruitment agencies which expired recently and as such returned this category of personnel back to these agencies who are their employers.

    1. As a demonstration of the Bank’s concern and compassion for the affected personnel of our contractors, palliative measures were put in place by the Bank to cushion the effect on them: These include payment of contract cessation packages of over half a billion Naira already paid through their employers as well as opportunity given to those with requisite qualification to apply to the Bank for permanent employment.

    1. In addition, the Bank has offered them the opportunity to become Xpress point agents of Ecobank as a way of further providing them entrepreneurial and financial empowerment.

    1. May we state that Ecobank is not obligated to renew its contract with the service providers involved.

    1. As part of the Bank’s business strategy, the bank is investing in the employment of full time graduates and as such over 300 graduates are currently undergoing training at the Bank’s state of the art Academy which was recently accredited by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. They are to be absorbed into the system at the end their training as permanent staff.

    1. The Bank would continue to align its people composition, development, recognition and rewards to position us as best practice service model in the industry, delivering superior customer service and experience across our network

    Thank you

    Ecobank Management

     

  • EXCLUSIVE: Ecobank commences nationwide retrenchment exercise, over 1,500 staff affected

    …affected staff duly compensated – Ecobank insists

    The management of Ecobank Plc last week Friday laid off over 1,500 staff on its pay roll, TNG can authoritatively report.

    According to one of the affected staff who confided in TNG, the mass retrenchment started last Friday (July 5) across the bank’s branches nationwide and affected mostly tellers and cashiers.

    “I’m devastated as I speak to you. I came in via an outsourcing company some three years ago. I was posted to one of the branches in Abuja and things have been smooth until last week Friday. I have no inkling whatsoever that I will return home jobless when I left for work last Friday. There was no body language whatsoever or sign to show that the bank was going to embark on such retrenchment spree. We were served our disengagement letters shortly after close of work on Friday,” one of the affected staff in Abuja told TNG on phone.

    Another affected staff in Lagos who spoke with TNG on condition of anonymity said they received text messages from the bank notifying them of the impending sack: “I’ve read stories of how banks forcefully disengage staff and up till last week, I had stubbornly defended Ecobank as the only bank in Nigeria that does not engage in such abusive corporate ideologies. I didn’t know that my sack letter was already being typed and was ready for disbursement. On that fateful day, a non pre-informed message of contract termination was sent to every cashiers/tellers that have spent three years and above in the bank. I had just spent five years with the bank and was even hopeful of a promotion anytime soon. But to my greatest surprise, I got fired instead. However, the most painful part of the whole unlawful retrenchment was the obvious fraud perpetrated by the bank in connivance with the outsourcing firms. The severance package was an embarrassment compared to the years of hardwork we have put in. Contract staff who worked for 13 years received less than N600,000:00 while core staff who worked for less than six years were paid not less than two million naira and above. You can see the discrepancies. But the bank will soon hear from us. I heard the sack is nationwide. We won’t take it likely. We are already organising ourselves to protest and seek redress legally. If other banks did this and nothing happened, Ecobank won’t,” the lady said furiously.

    However, a senior staff of the bank who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not in position to do so said the bank was professional in disengaging the affected staff. He noted that the severance package were duly paid to the outsourcing firms.

    Investigations by TNG revealed that Ecobank has working relationships with three outsourcing firms; ICS, VLA and L&B. Findings also showed that the bank is gradually winding down partnerships with the outsourcing firms with its recent launch of its academy to train fresh graduates for subsequent direct employment into the system. Hence, the massive termination of appointments of staff earlier recruited by the outsourcing firms.

    According to the bank, 332 graduates are currently undergoing intensive training at Ecobank Academy in preparation for full employment into Ecobank Nigeria. The programme combines the three categories of Entry Level, Graduate and Management Trainees with a program duration of 2months, 12months and 21months respectively.

    The Managing Director of the bank, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan during the graduation of one of the trainee batches said the trainee programme initiative is part of Ecobank’s transformation agenda to make the bank a most preferred financial institution in the country.

    “This programme is our own way as a bank to invest in creating future leaders for the Nigerian banking industry. We are investing in the people to accomplish our vision both as a bank and a country. A key success factor of any bank is capital; and we must therefore train those who will be empowered to oversee this capital and put it to good use in the interest of depositors and investors. Staff of banks must be well trained and knowledgeable so that they can ensure that funds in the banks are effectively deployed. For us at Ecobank, we must also ensure that we deliver on our promise as a financial institution of choice not only in Nigeria, but the whole of Africa. We therefore take the development of adequately trained manpower as a “must do” in striving to achieve our goals”.

  • ExxonMobil shut over retrenchment of 150 workers

    ExxonMobil shut over retrenchment of 150 workers

    The Lagos headquarters of U.S. oil major, ExxonMobil has been shut, following a standoff between blue-collar oil unions and the management over the sacking of 150 ExxonMobil workers.

    Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) besieged the office of the oil giant, protesting the sacking of Nigerian workers.

    The standoff is coming on the heels of a similar development on Wednesday in Upkenekang Community in Akwa Ibom, where angry youths disrupting the operations of the company over the sacking of contract workers from the area.

    The protesters, numbering over 1,000, barricaded entry points to the company with boats, coffins, leaves and placards, having different inscriptions.

    The Chairman of the ExxonMobil Branch of PENGASAN, Mr Paul Eboigbe, confirmed the closure of the company’s Lagos office.

    He said the management of the company went ahead to issue sack letters to worker, while negotiations were still going on.

    He said the union had to resist the action of the management and went ahead to shut down the Exxonmobil headquarters.

    Eboigbe directed the company’s workers at offshore locations to shut down rigs.

    The unionist said the company’s management disregarded laid down procedures and humiliated workers by serving them sack letters when all avenues to achieve a peaceful resolution were yet to be explored.

    The South-West Branch Chairman of PENGASSAN, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, said that picketing of ExxonMobil office was also being carried out by members of the union.

    Korodo noted that the picketing was as a result of the anti-labour practices of the company.

    He urged the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to take up the anti-labour practices of International Oil Companies (IOCs), operating in Nigeria.

    Korodo disclosed that the national body of the union had said that its members would embark on strike after the New Year holidays, if nothing was done to resolve the situation.

    “This is just the beginning of our strike against injustice against our members working with IOCs.

    “Our members now wear red clothes and put leaves on their trucks to show the injustice by these people.

    “We have resolved to commence strike next year if government does not find a solution to the exploitation by IOCs,” he said.

    The Manager, Media and Communications of ExxonMobil, Mr Oge Udeagha, said the company was always evaluating its operations.

    “We invest for the long-term and focus on maintaining a stable, well-developed workforce and are committed to treating our employees with respect in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

    “This is a limited programme that will impact a relatively small fraction of employees,’’ he said of the disengaged workers.

    “Special benefits specifically introduced for this purpose will be paid to affected employees, consistent with existing labour agreements.

    “The company is also arranging special programme to support the transition from the company for those affected.

    “We respect the rights of our workforce and will continue to engage with them to resolve this situation,’’ Udeagha said.