33 ex-workers sue CBN over layoff, demand N30bn
Following a major layoff last year, disgruntled employees of the Central Bank of Nigeria have filed a case against the top bank at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja.
The 33 claimants in an originating summons issued on July 4, 2024, under the NICN Civil Procedure Rules 2017, which our correspondent was able to access on Monday, brought up a variety of problems that the court was asked to resolve.
The former workers requested that the court rule on whether their constitutional right to a fair hearing was infringed upon both prior to and during the termination of their appointments.
Additionally, they claimed that the CBN had violated their contractual rights, Nigerian labour laws, and internal regulations.
Stephen Gana, Benedict Agbo, Eleanor Ihua, John Yisa, Peter Adeyemi, and Kabiru Idris are among the claimants. In a class action lawsuit, Okwudili Abanum represented the plaintiffs, who claimed that the termination process, which was conducted through letters titled "Reorganizal and Human Capital Restructuring" dated April 5, 2024, violated both Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution and the CBN's human resources policies and procedures manual.
The claimants further claimed that the termination procedure did not include the legally needed consultation and fair hearing.
They characterised the termination letters as unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional, even if they were sent under the pretence of restructuring.
The former employees requested an order stating that their termination was void on these grounds.
Additionally, they asked for a restraining order to stop the CBN from firing them without following the correct protocols.
The claimants also requested that their jobs be reinstated immediately, with salary and benefits starting on the date of termination.
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