Bank of Nova Scotia faces class action lawsuit over unpaid overtime

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO - Two law firms have launched a class action suit against Scotiabank (TSX:BNS) alleging the big bank failed to pay overtime to thousands of its employees over the years.

Law firms Roy Elliott Kim O'Connor LLP and Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP said Monday that the lawsuit will cover "thousands of current and former non-management, non-unionized employees of Scotiabank who are or were personal bankers or other front-line customer service employees."

It's the second lawsuit the firms have launched against a big Canadian bank, following similar allegations against CIBC (TSX:CM).

In a statement of claim, it alleges that the bank's workers are assigned heavier workloads than can be completed within standard working hours and are forced to work unpaid overtime. The suit calls it a contravention of the Canadian Labour Code.

The representative in the class action lawsuit is Cindy Fulawka, a 15-year veteran of the bank who has worked at branches in Saskatchewan and Ontario.

Scotiabank shares were up 51 cents to $52.61 in late-morning trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

© The Canadian Press, 2007