Stanchart, Workers Given Ultimatum

Management of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana and the workers’ union, represented by the Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers Union (UNICOF), have been given a one month ultimatum to settle any impasse regarding conditions of service of workers.

The National Labour Commission (NLC), at a meeting with the two parties on Monday, urged management of Stanchart Ghana to settle all grievances with the workers. It also directed the workers to cease wearing red armbands from today.

The unionized workers for sometime now have been wearing red armbands to signal their disagreement with the management, headed by Kweku Bedu-Addo, Managing Director over certain decisions.

Management had planned to introduce a Performance Appraisal Scheme, among others but this issue did not come up when the NLC met the two parties on Monday.

However, the unionized workers of the UK bank rejected the move, describing it as an attempt by management to undermine their fundamental collective bargaining rights.

UNICOF, led by Francis Kofi Davor, General Secretary, emphasized that their concerns go beyond the annual salary negotiations, adding that the plan by the bank to introduce a Performance Appraisal Scheme will have negative implications for the workers in salary negotiations.

He told CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE on telephone yesterday that he was not satisfied with the NLC’s directive but decided to comply because it provides an opportunity to engage management within a month to settle the stalemate.

Asked whether UNICOF had asked the workers to remove the red armbands, he said “We have done that. We had a general meeting yesterday and asked all the workers to remove the red armbands.”

He expressed happiness about the support workers of Stanchart Ghana had given UNICOF, adding that it will continue to engage management of Stanchart to settle every issue amicably.

He maintained that the action by the workers was not incited by the annual salary negotiations only.

Mohammed Affum, Public Relations Officer of the NLC, for his part, said the workers should seek redress by petitioning the commission.

He told CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE on telephone yesterday that his outfit had been assured by the workers’ union that it would comply with every directive from the NLC.

Over the last couple of weeks, unionized workers of Stanchart Ghana have been wearing red-arm bands to register their protest against what they described as an attempt by management to undermine their fundamental collective bargaining rights.