Some ex-workers of defunct UT and Capital Banks who were absorbed into GCB Bank, have threatened to go to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to be reinstated after their contracts were terminated by the Bank for failing some courses in their secondary level examinations.
According to them, their layoff is inhumane and will negatively impact their livelihood as well as their dependents.
The workers who number about 57 are alleged to have been sacked by GCB Bank for not possessing pass marks in subjects like Mathematics and English from the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Reports suggest that an ongoing audit of former UT and Capital banks employees with GCB Bank raised some issues with the qualifications of over a hundred staff.
The recent sacking comes about 2 years after the Ghana Commercial Bank took-over UT and Capital banks.
GCB was authorized to take over the two banks because according to the Central Bank, they had “severe impairment of their capital.â€
Read also: GCB sacks ex-UT, Capital Bank workers for "failing" SSSCE, WASSCE
Speaking to Citi FM, spokesperson for the ex-workers, Raymond Addai-Danquah, described the treatment meted out to them as inhumane.
“For me it is rather unfortunate that this should happen to these colleagues of ours. For the fact that somebody has D or E in one of those core subjects, and you will use that as a basis to terminate the person’s appointment, trust me this is inhumane. And it is about time GCB reinstates these people,†he said.
A copy of the termination letter sighted by Citi Business News and signed by GCB’s Head of Human Resources Kojo Essel Jnr, said “You will be paid an equivalent of one (1) month’s basic salary in lieu of notice in line with section 29(a) of our collective agreement and other benefits you may be entitled to per your contract of employment, less any indebtedness to the bankâ€.
The termination letter also added that “You are to hand over any company property that may be in your possession including but not limited to documents, manuals, Computer/laptop, mobile phone, ID Card, Name tag, electronic access card and keys to your line manager/supervisor before your final departure.â€
An ex-worker who received one of the letters, but asked not to be named, further called for the affected workers to be reinstated.
“We need them to reinstate us, because it’s no fault of ours. If someone has C or D or E or F, at least F is fail but E is pass, and we’ve all been able to move on to do our undergraduate, some people even have Masters qualification and yet still they been terminated, based on the reason that they didn’t pass their Maths and English in the WASSCE or SSSCE. It is going to affect my livelihood, definitely. There will be no funds coming in and my mum depends on me, my parents depend on me.â€