STANDARD BANK EMPLOYEES VOTE TO STRIKE TOMORROW

MBABANE – Standard Bank employees have resolved to go on strike tomorrow.

They are demanding an 8.5 per cent salary increment across the Board (applying to all). According to a strike ballot dated May 15, 2023, at least 268 employees voted. The balloting was conducted by the Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC). Of the 268 workers who voted, 252 of them favoured the strike, while 14 were opposed to it. There were two spoilt votes, while 14 workers did not vote at all. There were 282 Standard Bank employees eligible to vote. Pertaining to the percentage structure, 89.36 per cent of the employees voted in favour of the strike. It is mentioned in the ballot that 4.96 per cent of the employees voted against the strike, with 0.71 per cent representing spoilt votes.

voting

At least 4.96 per cent did not participate in the voting exercise. The workers were represented by the Swaziland Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers (SUFIAW). Jabu Shiba, the Secretary General of SUFIAW, said negotiations with the employer began in February 2023. She said workers were willing to review their 8.5 per cent salary demand but the employer did not move an inch from its 5.2 per cent offer. Asked what would happen tomorrow, she said the employees would be demonstrating adjacent to all Standard Bank branches, across the country. “This is a legal strike,” she said. CMAC, which conducted the strike ballot, is a Category A public enterprise under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security established in terms of Section 62 of the Industrial Relations Act No.1 of 2000. The Act stipulates that CMAC may conduct, oversee or scrutinise any election or ballot of an organisation or federation if asked to do so by the organisation or federation.

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