AUPCTRE: Don’t take laws into your hands, follow the due process –Fidelity Bank

The Fidelity Bank Plc has said that the picketing of the bank’s branches by the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE) which disrupted operations of the bank’s branches across the country at the weekend  is an illegal act.

The bank said there is an appeal and motion for stay of execution  to the order of the National Industrial Court, Enugu, adding that until the appeal is determined  it will not be right for the Union  to take  into its hands.

 AUPCTRE said it carried out the action against the bank over its refusal to pay the sum of N472 million to the union.

The President of AUPCTRE , Comrade Benjamin Anthony, who led members of the union to picket the bank in Abuja, explained that the union decided to embark on a one-day warning picketing against Fidelity Bank for flagrant disregard to court order

Anthony further said that members of the union in Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA) won a case against the state government to pay off a 13-years backlog of salaries and allowances it owed its members.

He  said that a garnishee order was served on three other banks who were defaulters of the same issue but Fidelity Bank totally refused to comply with the order.

He also said that a 21 and seven days ultimatum was also served to the bank and elapsed without any response.

According to him, two of the three banks have since complied with the order of the court to garnish the Anambra State government account except Fidelity Bank

The union threatened to mobilise AUPCTRE nationwide in collaboration with other sister unions to ensure a total shutdown of Fidelity Bank operation until it remit the N472 million to the union.

But Fidelity Bank said there a Notice of Appeal to the order of the National Industrial Court, Enugu, 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, it said, is aware of these processes as it was 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. 

 Said Fidelity Bank : “Our attention has been drawn to the ongoing picketing of Fidelity Bank’s branches and offices nationwide by the AMALGAMATED UNION OF PUBLIC CORPORATTIONS, CIVIL SERVICE TECHNICAL AND RECREATIONAL EMPLPOYEES (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.