Diamond Bank Protesting Workers Disrupts Banking Operations in Lagos

Diamond Bank -Aggrieved workers, yesterday, crippled operations at the corporate office of Diamond Bank in Lagos, over alleged unfair labour practices and poor working conditions.

Over 5,000 outsourced contract staff from various vendors and agencies, who stormed the bank as early as 8.00a.m., also shut down the bank's operations office at Adeola Hopewell in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The protesting workers, mainly secretaries, drivers, office assistants, technical crew and front desk staff, lamented alleged poor treatment from the bank.

Chanting war and solidarity songs, they demanded from the bank’s management tax clearance card, Nation Housing Fund, Pension Fund, gratuity and career progression, among others.

Heavily armed Policemen were drafted to ensure security.

The workers accused the management of being selfish and insensitive to their plight.

According to the workers, "we the junior staff in Diamond Bank Plc down tools today (yesterday) to protest the following: tax clearance card, NHF, Pension Fund, gratuity and career progression."

Bank’s statement

Reacting to the protest, the bank, through an unsigned statement, said: "The bank currently employs about 3,000 full-time staff and about 5,000 outsourced contract staff from various vendors and agencies.

"These contract staff include secretaries, drivers, office assistants, technical crew, and so on. As a standard practice all over the world, we are not privy to the contract details between outsourced agencies and their staff.

"Development that requires our management intervention, like the current issue, will and is being discussed with the management of the outsourced company to resolve their issues in a swift and amicable manner.

"In the interim, we want to emphasise that the day-to-day activities of the bank will not be interrupted by third party persons with whom we do not have any contract or dispute."

Source:  Nigerian Vanguard