Standard Chartered Bank Employees Protest in Freetown

Employees of Standard Chartered Bank gathered outside the bank’s headquarters on Thursday in Freetown, Sierra Leone to stage a protest, demanding their long-awaited terminal benefits.

This protest comes in the wake of a recent court ruling that ordered the bank to pay a substantial sum of $5.5 million (NLE 124,018,730.55) to its former employees.

On October 6th, 2023, the High Court of Sierra Leone, with Mrs. Justice Hannah Bonnie presiding, issued an order mandating Standard Chartered Bank to disburse the substantial sum within a seven-day timeframe. The court’s decision was met with a mixture of relief and jubilation by the bank’s former employees, who had been waiting for their terminal benefits for a considerable period.

However, Standard Chartered Bank is not taking the court’s ruling lightly. In response, the bank has sought leave to appeal the order, with their case being heard by Justice Jamesina King. The matter has been adjourned to Wednesday, October 18th, for further proceedings, leaving both the bank and its former employees in a state of uncertainty.

This legal battle has captured the attention of many, not only within the financial sector but also in Sierra Leone as a whole. The outcome of the appeal will have significant implications for the bank’s former employees, as well as set a precedent for similar cases in the country.

As the legal saga continues, employees remain determined in their quest for the much-needed terminal benefits, while Standard Chartered Bank’s legal team strategizes its appeal, ensuring that this case remains a focal point of discussion in Sierra Leone’s financial and legal circles.