The National Labour Commission (NLC) has directed the Union of Industry Commerce and Finance Workers (UNICOF) to put on hold moves to allow its members in Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to embark on a sit down strike this Wednesday, 23rd December, 2015.
UNICOF last week served notice its members in Agricultural Development Bank will embark on a sit down strike this Wednesday.
According to UNICOF the strike is as a result of the indiscriminate dismissals and queries of its members by the bank due to a similar action ordered by the union earlier this year.
A letter cited by Citi Business News dated 16th December, 2015 to the NLC from UNICOF on why they intend to go on the strike said ADB’s management had continuously violated agreements reached at the standing negotiation committee and has and continues to victimize, query and dismiss its members.
The union warns it will go ahead with the sit down strike on the Wednesday following the development. 13 members of UNICOF at ADB were sacked by the bank this year for concealing information about bounced cheques presented by clients which management said is contrary to the Bank of Ghana’s regulations.
The bank also asserted that the workers move breached the Collective Bargaining Agreement dated January 2014 to December 2015.
10 out of the 13 fired workers have filed a suit at an Accra High Court challenging their dismissal from the bank.
UNICOF earlier this month gave a two week ultimatum to management of the Agricultural Development Bank to reinstate dismissed staff.
According to UNICOF the dismissed workers were sacked without recourse to proper lay down procedures and therefore must be recalled to work unconditionally.
Deputy General Secretary of UNICOF John Amegashie had warned at the time that refusal by the management of ADB to reinstate the workers could worsen the already charged industrial atmosphere in the country.
But NLC in a letter signed by its Executive Secretary Dr. Bernice A Welbeck, to UNICOF cited by Citi Business News said ‘ a copy of the letter is hereby forwarded to adb to respond to the issues raised by UNICOF within seven days upon receipt.
All ongoing or intended action must be stayed forthwith’. It said.
