Court orders bank to honour negotiations with Redeployees

Accra, Dec. 21, GNA - A Circuit Court in Accra presided over by Mr Nathaniel E. K. Osam on Tuesday ordered the Social Security Bank, also known as SG-SSB, to complete negotiations on the payment of severance awards to 32 former drivers of the Bank.

Mr Osam said the outcome of the negotiations, which should be between the bank and the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on behalf of the Drivers, should be reported back to the Court.

Proceedings were, therefore, adjourned to January 31, 2005. The Drivers case is that after almost two years, and in spite of repeated demands, the Bank had refused to conclude negotiations for their top-up package, but instead was compelling them to leave its premises.

The workers filed a suit against the Bank for allegedly coercing them into taking early retirement and failing to pay them due severance packages.

In its statement of defence, the SG-SSB denied all the workers' allegations.

The statement contended that the Drivers were unionised employees until they separated from the Bank voluntarily in 2002.