Bank makes commitment to improve staff welfare

CRDB Bank managing director Charles Kimei

What you need to know:

CRDB and the Tanzania Union of Industrial and Commercial Workers sign an agreement to improve employees’ conditions of service to make a solid, lasting and profitable change in business

Dar es Salaam. “It is the customer who has the power to change the profit /loss figures in an annual report.

“Only by listening to the customer can one hope to make a solid lasting and profitable change in business…..”

The two paragraphs are quoted from the foreword written by the president and Chief Operation Officer of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company LLC, Mr Horst Schules.

The foreword is published in the book entitled Customer Inspired Quality, by James G. Shaw.

CRDB Bank managing director Charles Kimei has said something that walks along the same path but in different situation and environment.

To suit the occasion where he represented the bank and the staff represented by the Tanzania Union of Industrial and Commercial Workers (Tuico) and signed an agreement under which the bank’s staff would enjoy drastically improved conditions of services, Dr Kimei should have said: “It is the worker who has the power to change profit /loss figures in annual report.

“Only by listening to the worker can one hope to make a solid, lasting and profitable change in business…” And, indeed, the CRDB Bank, as “the bank that listens” to its customers as its slogan says, it did just that - listening to its staff, who were seeking an improved working environment for increased profits to benefit the bank and themselves.

Dr Kimei, who is imbued with a burning desire for social justice as a proactive person, he obliged on behalf of the bank’s management.

This was demonstrated by responding positively to the request tabled before a joint meeting of workers on one side and the bank’s management on the other.

The bank’s response also packaged health insurance services under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

All these benefits were packaged in an agreement signed by both sides in Dar es Salaam on February 15, 2018 in the presence of all the media houses in Tanzania, invited for the occasion.

“We therefore expect that the drive toward this end arrived at today, will be reciprocated by the CRDB Bank staff – by enhancing the spirit of hard working for increased efficiency to benefit the employer and workers,” said Dr Kimei, adding;

“The insurance package provides room for renewal after every three years and covers the period when the worker is on retirement. It also covers dependants of employees up to four members of family”.

The contract provides room for renewal after every three years, spreading over to their retirement years.

The contract drawn under Section 68 (1) and regulation 54 (1) of Employment Act, covers several benefits which include collective bargaining.

Briefly put, the contract between the CRDB Bank and its staff, aimed at providing what the workers and employer think are necessary needs for increased productivity.

These needs include the improvement of the relationship between the bank and staff; to improve the working environment, to establish an environment backed by law under which both sides agree on what is needed. Perhaps, the most important ingredient in the signed agreement between the bank and staff, is the minimum wage and other important basic benefits.

“For the first time the bank and Tuico have agreed on enhancement of a better working environment for the staff as provided in the Labour law.

“This was followed by the improved working conditions undertaken in 2014. The aim and intention of the improved working condition, was to show that the bank and Tuico were seriously determined to provide the best working environment for our staff,” explained Dr Kimei who makes things happen as a proactive person.

He wound up his speech by calling upon the news media to “help us deliver the message to the whole world, so that people at large, recognize that Bank’s management and its staff are working in a peaceful environment as they move towards gaining personal needs as workers and orgarnisational goals of the bank”.

The head of Finance of Tuico Mr Willie Kibona said in his speech that it is very important and for the good of the bank and workers to sustain the good relationship.

The CRDB Bank’s Human Resources Director Ms Dorah Ngaliga on her part said; “at CRDB Bank we follow up implementation of what the Bank’s staff want as agreed to make sure that they get their various benefits for those in service and retired.”

“It is my ardent hope that the contract signed today after making various corrections and improvements, will motivate the staff to deliver the goods and services in our bank,” she added.