Union strike impacting customers negatively, HSBC says

HSBC has issued a statement informing customers that multifunctional ATM service was available in all branches, with emergency cash withdrawals from Birzebbuga, Paola, San Gwann, Sliema, Sliema International Centre, St Paul’s Bay, Swieqi, Valletta, Victoria (Gozo) and Zabbar branches where they were providing teller service during normal banking hours.

Industrial action on a collective agreement dispute continued today with staff not reporting for work on a directive from the Malta Union for Banking Employees.

HSBC said it was “disappointed” at the MUBE action, saying it would negatively impact service to customers.

The bank apologised for any inconvenience caused and that it would endeavour to minimise any issues as much as possible. It said 10 branches remained open, as opposed to the previously widely-reported figure of three, and that ATMs were functioning uninterrupted 24/7.

The Malta Union of Banking Employees launched a full-blown strike on Tuesday, after HSBC Malta threatened a lock-out against employees obeying directives for a communications ban and sit-in earlier last week.

MUBE and the bank have been on the warpath ever since HSBC reneged on a collective agreement forged back in August 2014.

“Apart from not taking the local workforce and collective bargaining seriously, HSBC’s decision to threaten lock-out against those employees obeying the directive is also an insult to customers. This has left MUBE no other option but to issue a full-blown strike, completely removing the possibility of any other directives milder in nature,” MUBE president William Portelli has said.

The union said that HSBC had not found grounds to agree on an increase in the minima of the salary ranges; unilaterally awarded only a minimal increase in salary; withdrew the financial packaged from what was ‘practically an agreed deal’; and complained of “frenetic bank practices and work overload”.