EXCLUSIVE: GTBank Employees Forced to Work Weeks Without Rest, No Overtime Pay

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has been accused of mistreating its employees by forcing them to work for weeks without rest or proper compensation, according to a whistleblower report obtained by West Africa Weekly.

The anonymous insider revealed that staff were made to work for three consecutive weeks last month with no days off, no overtime pay, and little concern for their health or safety.

The report, which described the situation since August 3rd, explained that workers were required to attend a three-week-long mandatory training that many considered unnecessary. Despite several employees falling ill, management continued with the exercise. Workers were also expected to come to the office daily, even during the #EndBadGovernance protests, which made commuting unsafe for many.

The bank is callous, tyrannical and unempathetic towards its own staff. Just today, they issued another order for all staff to wait behind after work till 7 pm for more of this ‘training’ completely disregarding the safety of those employees who live far away (some as far as Ogun state) and many live in areas unsafe after nightfall, yet the bank issued this order and had it done with immediate effect and it will be for a period of another three weeks,” the insider reported.

While the bank made no arrangements for their transport or safety, the anonymous insider further reported that in blatant disregard for labour rights and the welfare of the employees, the bank has also mandated workers to come into work on Saturdays for the rest of the month with no overtime pay.

This adds to concerns about how private sector companies in Nigeria treat their workers. As one of the country’s largest banks, GTBank’s treatment of its staff shows the larger problems private workers face in Nigeria, many of whom deal with poor working conditions and limited protections.

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Joy Chukwu

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