COURT STOPS SWAZIBANK STRIKE

MBABANE – If you have an account with the Swaziland Development and Savings Bank (SwaziBank), you will be pleased to learn that the strike proposed by the institution’s workers has been stopped.

The dispute is over a demand for a salary increment of 8.5 per cent.
The bank only offered 6.5 per cent.
The Industrial Court issued an order barring the strike yesterday.

The breaking news was also confirmed by SUFIAW Secretary Jabu Shiba yesterday. SwaziBank had accused SUFIAW of approaching salary increment negotiations in bad faith.
SUFIAW is the Swaziland Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers.
Shiba said the decision meant both parties were to go back to the negotiation table.

“We are very disappointed by the ruling but there is nothing we can do since the decision has been taken. However, we will not give up because we know exactly what we want.”
Thembi Dlamini, the bank’s Executive Manager (Co-operative Services), alleged that the members of the union did not wait for the internal dispute procedures to be exhausted before reporting a dispute with the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC) and abandoned the negotiating table prematurely.

Senior attorney Musa Sibandze represented the bank in the matter.
SUFIAW reported a dispute at CMAC and later issued a notice to go on strike tomorrow. Bank management then went to court to seek an order preventing the union from calling on the employees it represents from proceeding with the intended strike.
SwaziBank management also wanted the court to set aside the report of a dispute by SUFIAW at CMAC and the steps taken by the former in this regard. The matter was heard by Industrial Court Judge Dumisani Mazibuko.
Dlamini, in her founding affidavit, told the court that on July 11, 2016 SwaziBank and SUFIAW entered into collective bargaining negotiations. The bank allegedly offered three per cent, which in the course of negotiations, increased to 3.75 per cent.
The employees then allegedly demanded a 10.5 per cent increment.

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