Banking union mulling industrial action against HSBC Malta

Banking employees' union MUBE is mulling its course of action on industrial directives at HSBC Malta, in a symbolic show of force against what it claims is a 'two weights, two measures' approach by the banking giant.

The MUBE said in an internal memo to members that disciplinary procedures against 'favoured' senior managers were expected to produce a "probable and biased outcome" after an incident over a misplaced money bag led to other disciplinary measures against another banking employee.

The union has accused HSBC Malta of dragging its feet on concluding its own internal investigation, and that "victimised" employees were left under the direct management of the same people who allegedly threatened them, and against whom they had testified. A union official has been suspended for allegedly misplacing a money bag, pending full investigations by the bank.

"This behaviour is simply unacceptable to MUBE, especially when bank officials have been and are still being disciplined and subjected to heavy sanctions, including dismissal for doing much less serious wrongdoings. HSBC is refusing to conclude a number of other investigations which are also long overdue.

"MUBE expects that discipline is applied across the board irrespective of grade and or nationality. More so, the bank had committed to conclude these investigations in the compromise agreement signed in April 2013, which agreement is being already blatantly breached by the bank," the MUBE said.

Earlier this year, MUBE had claimed a local employee to a new role in the United Kingdom while grievance proceedings against this employee in Malta had not been concluded. "Such news reflects very negatively on members' expectations as to the outcome of the ongoing disciplinary investigations being held by the bank in respect of very serious, unethical and irresponsible actions attributed to this employee to the detriment of all other employees concerned and the working environment," the MUBE said in a circular to employees.