By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) staff commenced a sit-down strike since Thursday, 25th September 2020, demanding that their Managing Director (MD) Mr Adesina Adebesin, must step down or else they would not return to work. Since Thursday when the sit-down strike commenced customers have been struggling to access their money from the Bank. According to the Bank’s Spokesperson, the strike “has affected all branches across the country”. One customer from Farafenni told Gainako that he hasn’t been able to access money from the bank since Thursday.
On Friday, 26th September 2020, I visited GTBank’s main branch at Kairaba Avenue, opposite the American Embassy to speak to the MD, Mr Adesina Adebesin. When I arrived, I saw staff sitting around the waiting area and the corridors, visibly not at work but within the premises. After requesting for the MD, I was informed that the MD was inside the building. Staff told me that Mr Adebesin was holed up inside his office and that several people from the media came to seek an interview with him without success. Even GTBank staff complained that they couldn’t contact him.
While at the Bank I called Mr Adebesin on two telephone numbers provided by the staff. Just as the staff predicted, their MD refused to pick up his calls. However, I managed to speak to the Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Dodou Bojang.
Head of Corporate Affairs Dodou Bojang Speaks
Mr Dodou Bojang who confirmed that he was the Head of Corporate Affairs, Communications and Brand Management updated Gainako on the Thursday and Friday sit-down strike. According to him “discussions have been going on between management, the Central Bank and the striking staff.” According to him the “discussions are still going on this morning [Friday] they have been meetings, Central Bank sent in some personnel who had some discussions with the management and they made some interventions and we hope sooner than later some compromises would be reached and we’ll go back to business.”
Asked if he was present at the talks Mr Bojang confirmed that he “was part of those discussions” and that “management didn’t see this coming, asking the Managing Director to go. The communique we received earlier didn’t have that in it, demanding for the Managing Director to go but today [Friday] I saw a lot of staff have written on their papers saying MD goes or no work.”
When I asked him how close the discussions were to reaching a compromise, he said that “I can only hope and pray that we can reach a compromise as the Central Bank is leading the discussions.”
Policy Changes Are Rumors and Speculation
Last week, a GTBank staff complained to Gainako on the lack of job security and that some Xsell staff have very little job security. The complainant alleges that some staff who have been working for a very long time at the Bank are still on short term contracts with little job security. Another complaint is that some staff have alleged that they have been working at GTBank for a long time without any promotions. We asked Mr Dodou Bojang to elaborate on this.
According to the GTBank Spokesperson “wherever you go in this world most corporations have people on contract and people permanent. This is the arrangement the bank has which I don’t think is illegal. As far as I know, you can employ people permanently am even sure your media house has permanent staff and people working freelance. It’s kind of that kind of arrangement. So yes, staff hired from a recruiting company called Exsell also want to become permanent staff. That’s one of the issues they are also pushing forward and management and central bank are looking at that.”
Another serious complaint is that policy changes are allegedly being implemented by the MD without any notice to the staff. When I asked Mr Bojang about this he explained that “a lot of people are asking me that management or managing director changed some policies but this is what it is. When Policies are changed in the Bank, they are published for every staff to see. But as we speak there are no publications to show that Managing Director has done this so I will take that to be rumour and pure speculation until it’s published for staff to see if any policy changes have actually been made.”
He concluded by apologising to GTBank Customers saying “we are sorry to our customers; this is not what we wanted and hopefully we will find a way to address it quickly and get back to serve them the way we served them before or even better. We are really truly and sincerely sorry for what is going on.”
Concerned GTBank Customers can’t Access Money
One customer named Bais told Gainako that “I’m affected because I have my current account savings with GTBank and my salary was deposited there since on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I have not been able to withdraw any money since yesterday due to the strike.”
This prompted me to enquire if he tried using his Bank Card in the Automatic Transaction Machine. He explained that his “card expired and at the same time I wanted to renew my ATM card as well. Unfortunately, the doors were locked and I found out with other customers I met there that the Staff are not working. So, I left without any money.”
“On Friday I called a friend who worked at the bank and asked him if the strike was still ongoing because I wanted to pass by the Bank after work. My friend advised me not to come because talks were still ongoing with the management.”
One customer at Farrefenni said “I was at the GTBank in Farrefenni and found the bank closed but staff were within the premises and the security was issuing tickets. After waiting for a long time, we were told that they are waiting for more information from the office. I think its high time that customers quit that bank for good.”
One individual lamented that “GTBank Gambia this is neither the first nor the second time this is happening. The Bank should endeavour to give the staff what they deserve. They work like machines and few enjoy (monkey work baboon chop).”
GTBank Sit Down Strike Timeline
Earlier this year, on 9th July 2020 GTBank Staff staged a sit-down strike prompting Central Bank to engage GTBank Management and Striking Staff to resolve the stand-off. In reaction to this Gainako published an article on the sit-down strike.
Sit Down Strike: GT Bank Staff refuse to Serve Customers as Strike Action Commences
Last week 23rd September 2020, Gainako received information that GTBank Staff had lost patience with Central Bank talks and planned to start another sit-down strike, this time staff were demanding that their MD must step down.
GTBank Sit Down Strike set for Tomorrow as Central Bank Talks Collapse