Access Bank Plc. is in big trouble as hundreds of its workers sacked last year have stormed its headquarters in Lagos to demand for complete payment of their entitlements.
We gathered that the protesting workers were outsourced by different companies such as; Workforce Management Center, Vic Lawrence & Associates Limited, Integrated Corporate Services Limited, U-connect, Strategic Outsourcing Limited and C & I Outsourcing amongst others.
We learnt that the workers were sacked in May, 2020 in the wake of the dreadful Coronavirus pandemic.
The protesters who were seen carrying placards with different inscriptions like; “Access Bank, where is your integrity”, “Access Bank, don’t let me unleash my family problem on you” and “Access Bank, pay us our entitlements” accused the bank of sacking over 1,000 staff without compensation after declaring a profit of N102.3 billion.
However, one of the protesters, Ojo Abiola who lamented over the injustice by the bank, said; “I was employed by an outsourcing firm named C & M Exchange on February 5, 2012 and was later moved to Workforce under Diamond bank due to the merger with Access Bank.”
“The termination of employment took place on May 1, 2020 when Covid-19 was biting hard. The bank gave ‘restructuring’ as reason for the termination.”
“I am a family man, imagine, a man without a job, life has not been easy. When I was sacked, I was paid N180,000, which does not commensurate with the number of years I have served the company. We want more, N30,000 cannot pay for house rent, shop rent and can’t even start up any reasonable business.”
“I appeal to government and all relevant stakeholders to call Access Bank to order and make the right payment that corresponds with the work done. There are people among us who have worked with the bank for more than 10 to 20 years.”
“They are also paid the same N30,000 per year, and we are all still short paid. The outsourcing firms are not saying anything about our predicament.”
