Barclays Bank staff on strike

Accra, Oct. 2, GNA 96 Barclays Bank Ghana, reeling under a workers' strike action on Monday, said it was holding intense discussions with its staff representatives, Trades Union Congress and Labour Commission towards re-starting services by Tuesday.
"We are working at opening our doors to customers by close of today (Monday) and be ready for work by tomorrow, October 3," Mr Gayheart Edem Mensah, Communications

Manager, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra. Mr Mensah could not confirm if the strike action was nationwide.



However, GNA checks confirmed that Barclays Bank has also closed it doors in Cape Coast with a large number of clients unable to satisfy their financial obligations.



management source said the situation was difficult because the workers had just taken their salaries, yet came back to claim extra.
"We are at a loss since they agreed to take their salaries and now are up on strike making new demands,=94 he said.



The strike action comes at a period when workers are collecting their salaries.



Angry customers of Cape Coast Branch of Barclays bank, particularly workers who had gone to withdraw their salaries on Monday, found the entrance to the bank locked and rained insults on the management and workers of the bank.

The bank staff said to be on strike had locked themselves up while the desperate customers tried in vain to gain access, with some of them furiously shaking the gate to attract attention.



Mr Atta Cato, a worker at Methodist Education Unit at Saltpond told the GNA that, he had only 40,000 cedis on him with which be bought fuel and drove to Cape Coast to withdraw money only to be told that the bank staff were on strike.



He appealed to the staff to sort out their differences with the management and 93not punish workers unduly and deny them their rights,=94 adding 93I do not know how to survive the next few days with nothing on me.=94
Few customers who had their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards on them withdrew some money.



Efforts to talk to the management of the bank were not successful because the entrance to the bank had been locked and security men would not allow the GNA access.

Barclays Strike datelined Sunyani

Several customers of Sunyani branch of Barclays Bank were left stranded at the bank premises following a strike action embarked upon by its workers.



The main entrance to the bank was closed as the customers, who had gone to transact business stood outside frustrated.

A 'closed' sign was pasted on the front glass of the premises. Auntie Faustie a teacher and a customer, described the action as "very worrying" as she needed money for domestic purposes.



"The month has ended and I have come to take some money home to cater for my children. Can you imagine them waiting for me to bring food and other items home?" she queried.
Some of the customers came from Berekum, about 18 kilometres away from Sunyani.
Attempts by the GNA to contact the management proved futile as the security were unyielding.
However, the GNA managed to contact the branch manager on telephone he declined to give his name and directed the GNA to contact the bank's head office in Accra for details about the strike action.
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Barclays Strike datelined Kumasi

Kumasi, Oct. 02, GNA 96 Customers of Barclays Bank in Kumasi, were disappointed on Monday because they could not transact business due to a strike action embarked upon by workers of the bank.


When Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited Harper road branch of the bank at Adum in the morning, most of the disappointed customers who looked dejected had crowded in front of the bank as their hope to either withdraw or deposit money was dashed.


All the entry doors to the bank were closed and a notice pasted at one of the entrance of the bank appealed to customers to 93exercise restraint as the management was thrashing out differences with the workers,=94 adding that, customers should not panic as the bank would resume later.


Attempt by the GNA to verify the cause of the strike action proved futile as there was no official to talk to.