Fidelity Bank Reacts to AUPCTRE’s Attack

Bukola Olanrewaju April 15, 2022 BUSINESS, Banking and Finance Leave a comment

Fidelity Bank has reacted to the picketing of some branches by the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).

The action was carried out to enforce a Garnishee Order Absolute made by the National Industrial Court, Enugu

The union had approached the National Industrial Court (NIC) for the enforcement of an arbitral award.

It was obtained against 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.

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In a ruling delivered on January 11, 2022, the National Industrial Court 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.

They also filed a Motion for Stay of Execution of the Order of Court dated the same 12th day of January 2022.

In the same vein, reports has it that activities were grounded to a halt at a branch of Fidelity Bank along Taiwo Road, Ilorin, today, Thursday, when members of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE) picketed the new generation financial institution.

Customers, who arrived the branch of the bank in the morning for one transaction or the other were declined access to the bank premises due to the industrial action.

It was gathered that the picketing of the bank was sequel to its refusal to comply with the Garnishee Order of the National Industrial Court directing payment of a sum of N471million, being the entitlements of workers of Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency and Anambra State Water Corporation under the aegis of AUPCTRE.

It was also learnt that the industrial court, in a judgement earlier delivered, ordered the bank to immediately pay the entitlements to the union.

In a statement Thursday night, Fidelity Bank noted that AUPCTRE is aware of the processes as they were served on them.

It said the Motion for Stay of Execution is still pending and had not yet been heard nor determined when the AUPCTRE “took the law into its hands” to attack the institution.

The public company told the public that it was a law-abiding Corporate Citizen guided by the rule of law.

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Fidelity Bank said parties that have submitted their processes to the court should follow the due process of the law to enforce their rights and not take the law into their hands.

The statement described picketing as an industrial dispute resolution mechanism 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.

“The attack on our Bank by the Union is an irresponsible use of brute force by the Union on a law-abiding corporate citizen.

“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”, it concluded.