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Joe Kokela UNI Africa Finance President thanked Masakazu Tahara UNI Apro Finance President for joining the UNI Finance ECO Bank global campaign at the recently concluded UNI Finance World Steering Group meeting held in Athens, Greece.

UNI Apro Finance Vice Presidents Catherine Jikunan and K C Ganesh were also present with President Tahara representing the Apro region present at the UNI Finance Steering Group Meeting held from 23 -25 October 2013.

Earlier this month, Tahara handed over a solidarity letter, signed in his capacity as the President of UNI Apro Finance, to Mr. Steve A.D. Aklesso Bodjona, acting ambassador of Republic of Togo in Japan, inviting the Togolese government attention to the unfair labour practices of Eco Bank.

Ecobank workers are deterred from joining unions as they fear dismissal or unsolicited transfers from the local management. Ecobank’s local management is also against conducting social dialogue with unions, systematically refusing all requests to meet or discuss labour issues with trade unions. The bank has branches in 33 African countries and is now the largest bank in Western Africa.

Joe Kokela said that the unhealthy union busting practice of Eco Bank has to end as it is setting up a bad precedent across Africa.

The Apro delegation, together with Jyoti Mohapathra and Ajaykumar Badani guests from the All India SBI Staff Federation and officials from the Japanese Trust Bank Employees Federation officials, observed the UNI Europa Finance conference that was also held in the same venue on the theme “Finance for the Future: Making Finance Work for the People”.