Two top officials of Barclays in court

Accra, March 10, GNA-Two top officials of Barclays Bank Ghana Limited on Monday appeared at an Accra Fast Track High Court to answer a contempt of court application brought against them. They are Margaret Mwanakatwe, Managing Director, Barclays Bank Ghana Limited and Laureen Lokko, Head of Human Resource.

Eight employees of the bank, all executives of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), on February 4, this year filed an interlocutory injunction against the defendants not to prevent them from going into their offices and withholding their salaries, allowances and other benefits pending the determination a substantive matter before the court.

The bank was earlier on sent to court following a decision by management to introduce a new policy dubbed; "out of cycle" in the bank. While the matter was pending at the court, management dismissed the entire executives.

The applicants were seeking damages for breach of the provisions of the bank's Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA).

They were also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from carrying out any acts of victimization of trades union leaders or interfering in their duties and performances of their functions as union leaders.

The defendants flouted this and issued a letter of summary dismissal, which was in contravention of the CBA.

Arguing the motion for contempt, Mr Albert Adaare, counsel for the applicants, said the defendants had wilfully disregarded the process of the court.

He said they were aware of the court proceedings yet gave directives to the security personnel of the bank to prevent them from entering their offices.

He recounted an incident where one of the executives was nearly beaten up when he attempted to enter the yard. According to Mr Adaare, the applicants' salaries have also been withheld and that should not be the case.

He pointed out that in February, the bank calculated applicants' salaries for only up to 10 days.

Mr Adaare said the defendants had treated the sacred instructions of the court with disdain and therefore should be cited for contempt. Mr Charles Hayibor, who represented the defendants, said the application had no evidence that the security personnel had denied them entry into their various offices.

Mr Hayibor said the bank had paid the applicants' salaries for January and February.

The court after listening to argument of counsel adjourned the matter to April 16 for its ruling.