South African Banking Union Plans Largest Strike Since 1920

(Bloomberg) -- South Africa's biggest financial union is threatening to disrupt the country's banking industry by leading its 73,000 members on a strike next month, in what would be its largest industrial action in almost a century.

The planned two-day walkout will target lenders that have consulted staff over job cuts in recent months and other institutions that employ members of the Sasbo union, according to General Secretary Joe Kokela. Sasbo wants banks to consider options other than retrenchments and begin a program to re-skill employees whose positions are at risk, he said in an interview on Monday.

“If the banks say no, the struggle continues and we will make sure we shut down the system until they come to their senses,” Kokela said. “We can even make sure replenishment of ATMs are kept to a minimum so that the country runs short of money.”

South African lenders are cutting jobs as they seek ways to lower costs and contend with slow economic growth and fresh competition in the industry from branchless, digital entrants such as TymeBank and insurer Discovery Ltd. Redundancies are particularly sensitive as the unemployment rate has risen to 29%, the highest in more than a decade.

Job Cuts

Absa Group Ltd., Standard Bank Group Ltd. and Nedbank Group Ltd. have all consulted with Sasbo in recent months over cuts. Absa is restructuring operations across its business units and Standard Bank is closing 91 branches, while Nedbank is in talks with about 1,500 employees over job cuts or redeployments.

Standard Bank “has made strides to ensure that impacted employees are absorbed into other roles within the bank,” a spokesman said in an email. “Where that hasn't been possible, or employees have opted not to apply for other positions within the network, we also set aside funds to assist employees acquire new skills.”

Sasbo, founded in 1916, has not yet informed any of the country's lenders of its plans, Kokela said.

About 20% of Nedbank employees are Sasbo members and the lender hopes to engage the union ahead of the planned action, Chief Executive Officer Mike Brown said in an interview on Tuesday. Nedbank will make arrangements to continue serving clients if the strikes go ahead.

“We have always managed headcount in the bank firstly through natural attrition, secondly through internal redeployment, thirdly through reskilling and only retrenchment as a last resort,” Brown said. “In the last 12 months, we have reduced headcount in the bank by just over 1,000 people, of which only 21 were retrenchments.”

Read More: Jobs at Risk as Absa Overhauls South African Retail Bank

Absa said it's also reassigned and reskilled staff that have been impacted by its restructuring.

“We do have business continuity and contingency plans that we deploy as and when necessary,” the bank said in an email.

To contact the reporter on this story: Roxanne Henderson in Johannesburg at rhenderson56@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stefania Bianchi at sbianchi10@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn

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