News

European bank workers will demonstrate in front of the headquarters of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt this morning to call for a radical change in the sales practices of financial service providers.



UNI Finance Global Union, German union ver.di, bank workers and representatives of finance unions in Europe are in Frankfurt as part of the global action week organised for bank workers to share their stories of unscrupulous sales pressure from banks.

Under the motto “Fair Banking Advice? Fair Working Conditions? Now!” finance workers across the globe will join the push to change what is a global problem for bank workers.



Actions have been arranged in many countries, including France, Iceland and Australia.



“An HSBC bank worker from Latin America reported she had to work from her hospital bed to bring in half a million US$ in a week to reach sales targets and save her chance of promotion,” said Head of UNI Finance Oliver Roethig. “Banks cannot continue to make profits through these practices; it’s immoral.”



Bank workers in Europe and around the world have talked of the extreme pressures they feel to meet sales goals and to push certain types of financial products on customers who don’t necessarily need them.



In Frankfurt, workers will present their demands with a giant scroll for people to sign, to send the message to regulators and banks.



Ver.di will announce its call for banks to introduce necessary changes to their sales practices, particularly with a view to the collective bargaining round due to start on 19 April.



You can find more information at:

http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/iportal.nsf/page/sec_20081016_gbhqEn



www.verkaufsdruckneindanke.de





Contact UNI at: rachel.cohen@uniglobalunion.org or +41 79 888 0753



UNI Finance is the global trade union for the finance industry.