News

UNI global union affiliates working in HSBC met in Esher, UK, on 11 and 12 February 2016, at the same time as the Bank was announcing its U-turn on plans to freeze pay. 

Unions and staff across the world had reacted with outrage to the badly communicated plan to cancel 2016's pay rises. 

Job uncertainty, outsourcing and offshoring, long and unpaid hours, and stress were identified as common issues affecting employees around the world.

In addition, the way in which HSBC makes and implements 'global' decisions over-rides local country agreements and arrangements, undermining collective-bargaining.

In response to this and the many issues that affect HSBC workers, it was agreed to create an HSBC global union alliance.

The alliance aims to:

• Build and maintain close communication and campaign coordination;
• Reach out to other HSBC unions who are not yet part of UNI;
• Promote and strengthen social dialogue;
• Increase organising and collective bargaining;
• Raise standards and improve workers’ conditions at global level;
• Conclude a global framework agreement with the Bank.