Unions at loggerheads over banking collective agreement

The Malta Union of Bank Employees has alleged that section secretaries from the General Workers Union professional section had embarked on "destructive campaign" to bully its way into the financial services institutions with claims for recognition in financial institutions where collective agreement negotiations are currently underway by MUBE.

"It has again been reported that Cory Greenland, secretary of the professional-finance-services section of the GWU is approaching banks and insurance companies making false claims for recognition at a sensitive time when MUBE, as the recognised union, is in the process of concluding new agreements with these institutions," MUBE said in a statement.

"The effect of this irresponsible behavior is an attempt to stall all negotiations to the detriment of the employees and the employer concerned. This is an insult to effective collective bargaining and to ethical trade unionism."

MUBE said that it was the exclusively recognized union with the institutions concerned, and that the main obstacle to negotiating the terms and conditions of employment was the  GWU's Cory Greenland's "unwarranted disruptive claims" rather than employers.

"This is in violation of MUBE's legal rights to collective bargaining. Today it is already difficult to conduct effective bargaining due to the external economic conditions and business considerations. The practices and tactics adopted by the PFS Section of the GWU are not only 'alien' in the trade union world but are a threat to job stability and totally against ameliorating the working terms and conditions of the employees," MUBE said.

"Defending the rights of employees is the priority of MUBE and it will continue to closely monitor the situation. Greenland's false and frivolous claims are yet another attempt to disrupt the hard work which MUBE conducts diligently especially when being on the verge of concluding very beneficial agreements for the benefit of all stakeholders concerned. MUBE has officially reported the matter to its international affiliates."