ICU sues Barclays for contempt of court

Accra, Feb. 29, GNA - The Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU) of the Trade Union of Ghana has filed a writ of contempt against two top management pernonnel of Barclays Bank Ghana Limited for failing to respect Article 15 of the Labour law.

The contempt suit is against, Mrs. Margaret Mwanakatwe, Managing Director and Laura Lokko, the Human Resource Manager both of the bank. Mr. Solomon Kotei, Secretary of the Interim Management Committee of the ICU told a press conference in Accra that the action was due to the bank's failure to comply with an interlocutory injunction by an Accra Fast Track Court restraining the bank from dismissing 8 workers who were members of the local workers' union. He said in November last year, disturbances arose between the eight workers and the bank, which called for arbitration by the National Officers of ICU and the bank.

Mr Kotei said there was a deadlock, which meant that the matter should be transferred to the Labour Commission adding, management of Barclays bank wrote a memorandum to the 8 workers on January 9, this year and served summons on the local union executives and followed it by summarily dismissing the workers on January 11, 2008. He said the act by Barclays bank was in contravention of Article 15 of the Labour law, which called for suspension and investigation by employer on an employee rather than outright dismissal although court injunction had been sought.

Hearing on the contempt suit was schedule for March 10, 2008 while hearing on the Interlocutory Injunction was for March 4, 2008.