Standard Chartered Bank employees gathered outside the bank's headquarters in Freetown, Sierra Leone on Thursday to protest and demand long-awaited final benefits. The protest follows a recent court ruling that ordered the bank to pay a hefty sum of US$5.5 million (NLE124,018,730.55) to its former employees.
On October 6, 2023, the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone, presided over by Justice Hannah Bonnie, issued an order ordering Standard Chartered Bank to pay a substantial amount within seven days. The court's decision brought a mixture of relief and joy among the bank's former employees, who had been waiting for the final grant for a long time.
However, Standard Chartered Bank does not ignore the court's decision. In response, the bank has applied to be allowed to appeal the order and the case will be heard by Judge Jamesina King. The case was adjourned to Wednesday, October 18, for further proceedings, leaving the bank and its former employees uncertain. This litigation has caught the attention of many people, not only in the financial sector but across Sierra Leone. The outcome of the appeal will have significant consequences for the bank's former employees and set a precedent for similar cases across the country.
As the legal saga continues, employees remain committed to securing much-needed end-of-contract benefits, while Standard Chartered Bank's legal team is developing an attractiveness strategy to ensure the issue remains at the forefront of discussions in Sierra's financial and legal circles stands, Lion.