Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre is calling for a resolution to the ongoing dispute at 1st National Bank to allow the bank to return to normal operations.
The controversy escalated last week when the bank’s employees went on strike, claiming unpaid dues.
This matter remains unresolved.
According to a letter from Labour Commissioner Joseph Joseph to the National Workers Union’s Secretary General, the bank has referred the matter to the Minister of Labour.
The Labour Commissioner noted in the letter dated October 11 that he had not received a response from the bank regarding the conciliation’s recommendations and that he has since taken further steps.
“I have since engaged the Minister on finalizing a date for a meeting between the two parties. On careful examination of her schedule, she agreed to meet the parties on Tuesday, October 29th,” Joseph stated.
Joseph said that the minister would be out of state “for the bulk of the next two weeks attending to matters of the ministry and so is unable to meet the parties before the date given.”
In the meantime, he said, employees were required to return to work from Monday, October 14th.
But that letter did not sit well with employees, according to various reports, and on Monday, several workers reportedly called in sick.
Prime Minister Philip J Pierre has acknowledged that the meeting with the Labour Minister is “too late” and said he would contact the Labour Commissioner and the Chairman of the Board at 1st National on Monday.
Pierre had not given an update before press time yesterday.
“1st National Bank is a private entity (and) government has no shareholding in the (bank), but as the Minister of Finance, the climate of the financial system is important to me,” Pierre told reporters on Monday, adding that the “labour stoppage” has been of concern to him.
“I’m calling on all parties to get back to the bargaining table as soon as possible to ensure that work continues smoothly at 1st National. As to the issues I have not been briefed because the bank is a private entity, but I will be making a call to the Chairman to ask him his side of the story,” the prime minister said.
According to him, he hopes that good sense will prevail and that the workers will return to work as soon as possible.
Pierre said that it is the responsibility of management to get together with the workers to achieve a ‘win-win’ situation, and as the Minister of Finance, he is concerned with any instability in the financial system.
“We want a harmonious relationship to exist between workers and employers and this is why we passed a Minimum Wage (Bill). Workers should be able to give a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay,” he added.
The Board of 1st National is made up of nine individuals all of whom have come under heavy scrutiny since employees downed their tools and intensified their rights to industrial action.
Employees have expressed disapproval of the strong relationship between a member of the NWU and a board member at First National Bank.
Workers have also voiced worries about certain board members and have demanded that Chairman Nigel Fulgence resign.
The majority of the population appears to back the employees who believe the bank has treated them unfairly, and many have expressed this sentiment on social media.
On Monday, 1st National Bank released a statement in reaction to the situation.
The full statement appears below:
1st National Bank has issued a statement on the ongoing industrial dispute involving its staff, pledging its continued commitment to an amicable resolution that will adequately address their grievances.
1st National Bank says the matter is being addressed through the leadership of the Ministry of Labour but in the meantime remains committed to providing a stable and fair environment for all employees.
The statement also notes that “We at 1st National Bank are committed to serving our customers and understand how this action may have impacted them and other employees”. We sincerely apologize.
1st National adds that “We are committed to providing more information on this matter but await the outcome of our ongoing discussions with the relevant parties”.
“Our Bank thought it was necessary at this point to make some brief remarks given the multitude of comments and vested interest of our general public which we understand being a local financial institution” the statement continues.
The bank remains confident that the matter will be resolved amicably.
1st National Bank concludes that “We are committed to open communication and addressing the issues at hand. Our priority is to ensure that all employees feel heard and valued. We believe that collaboration and dialogue are essential in resolving these matters”.
The issue at hand is currently before the Ministry of Labour and all parties have agreed to a meeting planned for 29th October 2024.