HFC staff at loggerheads with management

The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the Trades Union Congress TUC is taking steps to resolve an impasse between the management of the HFC Bank and a section of its workers.

Drivers of the Bank have locked horns with their management over the Bank’s decision to outsource their services, a move which could render over 400 of them redundant.

Management of bank, however, said the outsourcing formed part of a number of cost-cutting measures launched to return it to profitability though the workers raised concerns over the decision because due processes had not been followed saying, the action fundamentally breached the country’s labour law.

Addressing the workers on Monday, Mr Solomon Kotei, General Secretary of the ICU said “we have been dialoguing on the issue which has not seen a resolution till now, so it came to us as a surprise, that on Saturday, you were invited from your various branches to come to Accra for your letters.”

He said the management of the bank was “foundationally wrong” and should have notified the Chief Labour Officer three months before taking the action.

“We are going to send a comprehensive report to the National Labour Commission from where we will take further actions if the matter is not resolved.”

The Human Resource Department of the bank defended the outsourcing as part of cross-cutting measures introduced to reduce cost saying “One such measure consistent with widespread industry practice is the outsourcing of drivers.”

The Deputy General Secretary of the ICU in charge of Operations, Mr Morgan Ayawine, appealed to the agitated workers to be patient for further discussions to address the concern.

This is an unfair labour practice and as indicated by the General Secretary we are going to take it up and deal with it appropriately.”