By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Futhie Magagula,the First National Bank(FNB) Eswatini Employees Relations Manager has written an email, ‘warning’ all employees of the reputable financial institution about possibilities of a strike action, amid tension with the Swaziland Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers(SUFIAWU) after unsuccessful negotiations to have salaries increased by 8.5%.

But in the email seen by this Swaziland News, the Bank Manager stated categorically that, FNB was committed to finding resolution without the need for the substantial cost to both affected employees and the Bank that, disruption and avoidable conflict create.

“The Bank is committed to finding resolution without the need for the substantial cost to both affected employees and the Bank that disruption and avoidable conflict create. The pending matters will resolved and will resolved within reasonable and sustainable means, and it is the intention of the Bank that post the resolution of these matters, employee-employer engagement be sustained to mitigate misinformation and misunderstanding risk”, reads the email in part.

Reached for comments by this publication,Futhie Magagula, the FNB Manager Employees Relations said, the email was directed to Bank employees hence,she can’t comment.

“Good Day Nkhosi.We respect communications between the Bank and its employees and we would like to protect the integrity of internal conversations,” said the FNB Manager Employees Relations.

But on Tuesday, Jabu Shiba, the Secretary General(SG) of the Swaziland Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers(SUFIAWU) wrote a memo directed to all members and informing them that, the strike will commerce on the 20th October 2023.

In the same memo, Shiba expressed serious concerns that, the bank FNB Management, instead of negotiating, had resorted to harass workers ahead of the strike action.

“I am directed by the National Executive Commitee to advise the membership that we have, today, issued a strike notice against First National Bank following the collapse of the conciliation at CMAC. The strike commences on the 20th October 2023. The Bank instead of knuckling down, has elected to embark on an intimidation drive where our members at Corporate Place were put under arrest until after 2200hrs on the 2nd October 2023. The question that then begs is why does such a senior official of the bank stoop to such deplorable levels,”reads the memo in part, signed by the SUFIAWU Secretary General.

Reached for comments by this Swaziland News, Jabu Shiba, the SUFIAWU Secretary General confirmed that, there would be a strike action by FNB employees as negotiations were not successful.

“We can confirm that there would be a strike action to commence on the 20th October 2023, tinkhulumo tehlulekile lokusho kutsi mhlaka twenty(20) kucala umsebenti Nkhosi”, said the SUFIAWU Secretary General.

The FNB workers are demanding an 8.5% salary increment and the bank is offering 5.85%.