Standard Chartered Bank Zambia has successfully concluded negotiations for the 2013 conditions of service for its unionized staff, increasing salaries by KR900 across the board.
According to a statement emailed to ZANIS in Lusaka today, the bank this year undertook a review of the conditions of service for unionized staff which culminated in an agreement to increase salaries for unionized staff from last year’s increase of KR750.
Standard Chartered Bank Zambia Acting Managing Director Kelvin Musana says staff and customers remain a top priority for the bank.
Mr Musana said the bank has a good working partnership with the Union Executive whom it relies on to encourage staff to have a change in mindset.
Mr Musana said the bank remains focussed on making a difference in the communities it operates in and had for this reason in 2012 engaged the union to roll out extended hours in its branches.
The Acting Managing Director said there was need for his bank to position itself for future growth in order to continue to compete effectively.
And commenting during the signing ceremony, Standard Chartered Bank Zambia Head of Human Resource Ruth Simuyemba said the over 700 staff across 24 outlets in Zambia are the bank’s biggest asset.
Ms Simuyemba said the growth that the bank achieved last year was testimony of the quality of staff and their professional and hardworking conduct.
She said the bank is committed to continue reviewing conditions of service for both management and union staff.
Ms Simuyemba added that the signing agreement shows the bank’s commitment to its brand promise of “We are Here for Progress, Here for People and Here for Good.”
Meanwhile, Zambia Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers (ZUFIAW) Secretary General Joyce Nonde-Simukoko commended Standard Chartered bank for closing the negotiations when other banks are yet to.
Ms Simukoko said this shows the hard work and commitment by the negotiating committee.
Ms Simukoko has since encouraged bank staff to change their mindset towards work saying bank workers need to enhance their skills in order to achieve more.
She called on the bank’s workers to utilise ZUFIAW’s newly opened Skill Development Training Centre where they will be trained in different aspects of their careers.