By News Editor
Nigeria’s foremost financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc has reacted to picketing of its branches and offices across the country.
It described the act, perpetrated by the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE) as irresponsible use of brute force by the union an a law abiding corporate citizen.
The Union has began picketing of the bank’s branches to enforce a garnishee order absolute delivered by the National Industrial Court, Enugu against the Anambra State urban Water Holdig Corporation and Anambra State Waste Management Authority and against the accounts of Anambra State Government domiciled in Fidelity Bank.
The statement said since the court order had been duly appealed by the judgment debtors, the union ought not to embark on picketing its own operations.
The bank in the statement said it had no issues to gind with the union, and wondered why the union would resort to applying a labour option to resolving an issue with which it has no direct connection.
The statement issued by the bank’s corporate communications department reads:
“Our attention has been drawn to the ongoing picketing of Fidelity Bank’s branches and offices nationwide by the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE), in an apparent attempt to enforce a garnishee order absolute made by the National Industrial Court, Enugu.
The Union had approached the National Industrial Court, Enugu for the enforcement of an arbitral award obtained by the Union against the Anambra State Urban Water Holding Corporation and Anambra State Waste Management Authority by way of a garnishee order against the accounts of Anambra State Government in Fidelity Bank.
In a ruling delivered on January 11, 2022, the National Industrial Court, Enugu made the Garnishee Order Absolute against Fidelity Bank and another bank.
However, the Judgment Debtors, Anambra State Urban Water Holding Corporation and Anambra State Waste Management Authority, immediately filed a Notice of Appeal dated the 12th day of January 2022 as well as a Motion for Stay of Execution of the Order of Court dated the same 12th day of January 2022. The Union is aware of these processes as they were served on them. The motion for stay of execution is still pending and has not yet been heard and determined when the Union took the law into its hands to attack Fidelity Bank.
As a law-abiding Corporate citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we are guided by the rule of law. Accordingly, where parties have submitted their process to the Court, such parties should follow the due process of the law to enforce their rights and not take the laws into their hands.
It is also our view that picketing is an industrial dispute resolution mechanism that is reserved for the settlement of industrial disputes. Fidelity Bank has no industrial dispute with the Union as to warrant the picketing of any of our branches.
Accordingly, the attack on our Bank by the Union is an irresponsible use of brute force by the Union on a law-abiding corporate citizen.”
As a responsible financial organization, we remain committed to the due process of the law, and we wish to assure all our customers of our unwavering commitment to providing them with superior service delivery.