A view of KCB South Sudan headquarters in Juba / Courtesy.

Six former staff of the Kenya Commercial Bank have filed a court case against the organization for failing to pay them a gratuity.

This comes after the Kenyan bank defied several directives and summons from the Ministry of Labor through the course of the last five months.

The Acting Director-General at the Minister of Labor directed KCB to clear the gratuity payment of six former employees who left the bank at different points this year.

The former bankers had worked for KCB for a period between three to four years.

They are Pajok John Kuol, who was the Business Development Manager, Mading Gabriel Piel, Manager of Operations, and Manyok Bol John Branch Manager.

Others are Oketa Sisto Lino, Operations and Compliance Manager, Manyok John Gabriel former Acting Operational Excellence Manager, and Daniel Bul Tor Customer Care Officer.

They have filed a case and submitted the letter from the Ministry of Labour to the Resident Magistrate Judiciary of South Sudan for prompt enforcement of payment of gratuity to them.

“Today Monday, the 14th November 2022, through our advocate, we have filed the case and submitted the letter from the ministry of labor to resident Magistrate, Judiciary of South Sudan for prompt enforcement of payment of gratuity to the six former employees of KCB,” reads the statement.

In several documents obtained by Eye Radio, the former and the current undersecretaries of the Ministry of Labor asked KCB to pay its former staff in accordance with labor laws.

On 6^th July 2022, Undersecretary Allamana Zechariah wrote to KCB – stating that gratuity is payable for all workers as part of the terminal benefits after the completion of one-year continuous service as provided for in the South Sudan Labor Act 2017.

However, the KCB bank refused to comply with the clarification from the Ministry.

The ministry issued two summons on 28^th July 2022 and 4^th August 2022, but all were turned down and KCB did not show up as requested.

But on October 3rd, the ministry issued a two-week ultimatum to pay the staff as the last reminder.

After the order was defied, the minister called for a meeting with the KCB management and the former staff.

The bank agreed to meet the ex-staff, but it was not clear if the meeting bore any tangible solution.

Later on, the ministry wrote to the Judiciary of South Sudan, and forwarded the case for enforcement.

In a statement seen by Eye Radio on Monday, the employees demanded that the Kenyan Commercial Bank pay them their benefits.

They said the Kenyan Commercial Bank South Sudan branch should be made to comply with South Sudan laws.

The former staff said all employees who deserve terminal benefits should be paid promptly by KCB Bank.

The employees appealed to the government of South Sudan and its agents who legislate and implement laws of the county to review the implementation process of existing laws

KCB is yet to comment on the matter.