ESRIC EMPLOYEES RISK LOSING E2M IN SALARIES

MBABANE - On strike ESRIC employees say they stand to lose over E2 million in salaries should the corporation implement the consultant’s recommendations in the manner it wishes.

The employees of Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation (ESRIC) are referring to the Salaries Review and Job Evaluation Recommendations by Deloitte Consulting. Through their union, the employees have since filed an urgent application at the Industrial Court where they are seeking an order interdicting the company from implementing the Salaries Review and Job Evaluation recommendations dated September 2018 until it (ESRIC) has complied with Clause 13 of the terms of reference and guidelines of the report.

Clause 13 provides that: “The implementation of the recommendations of the consultant shall be by mutual agreement between the parties.” They argued that the consultant’s report had recommendations whose implementation the parties must engage and agree on. The workers want the management of ESRIC to negotiate implementation of the recommendations by Deloitte Consulting. In her founding affidavit, Secretary General of the Swaziland Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers (SUFIAW), Jabu Shiba, submitted that the Industrial Court had jurisdiction to hear the matter by virtue of Section 8 of the Industrial Relations Act No.1 of 2000 (as amended).

Giving a background of the matter, Shiba stated that the union and ESRIC have a valid recognition agreement, which inter alia required, the parties to consult one another on all issues of mutual interest between them, including on preparations for salary review exercise and the outcome of such exercise. She narrated that on February 6, 2018, SUFIAW and ESRIC agreed on a salary review and job evaluation exercise.  According to Shiba, this followed a proposal by the union to have such an exercise undertaken, mainly because a majority of the workers were allegedly wrongly placed in the remuneration structure of the company much against its Remuneration Policy.

She informed the court that the union and ESRIC appointed Deloitte Consulting as the consultants to undertake the salary review and job evaluation exercise.  She claimed that this was done in line with Clause 16 of the terms of reference and guidelines. Shiba submitted that the salary review was undertaken as agreed and the consultant presented its report to the parties.

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