News

HomeNews

Banking on Workers' Rights in HSBC

Published: 26 March 2010
Google translate: 


HSBC Management & UNI Delegation at the meeting


CONTRAF President Carlos Cordeiro -3rd from left- welcomes the delegates to the joint meeting




Jayasri Priyalal [UNI Apro],

Karuna Anantharasa

[NUBE Malaysia]

Christy Hoffman from

SEIU -USA




Stewart Dack from UNITES UK

speaking at the meeting with HSBC Management in Sao Paulo

HSBC emerged from the 2008 global financial crisis with a positive economic performance and their employees must be acknowledged and rewarded for their contribution to this success. Banks achievements should not just go to the senior executives as has been the case in the past.



As a global employer HSBC has a duty to act in a socially responsible manner, to guarantee decent salaries and to ensure compliance with rights and international standards, especially freedom to organize trade unions through out the world.



Trade unions from twenty countries representing banking and finance sector employees gathered in Sao Paulo Brazil on 17-18 March 2010 , to launch their alliance to bring the banking giants HSBC & SANTANDER to the table to sign an accord that would ensure union rights for all the companies’ employees all over the world.



Trade union delegation representing HSBC employees, including UNITES UK represented by Stewart Dack met the management representatives of the bank and reiterated the necessity of signing a global framework agreement with the bank. Karuna Anantharasa Assistant General Secretary of National Union of Bank Employees [NUBE] Malaysia and Jayasri Priyalal UNI Apro Director for Finance Sector Activities joined the delegation from Asia.



The meeting was arranged by UNI affiliate in Brazil, Confederacao Nacional dos Trabalhadores do Ramo Financerio [CONTRAF] and the head of the HSBC HR department. CONTRAF President Carlos Cordeiro joined the UNI Finance delegation for the meeting.





UNI Finance together with its affiliates call HSBC to negotiate a global agreement with UNI global union for all of its employees to secure:
  • A liveable wage which sustains a family
  • Decent benefits and social protection including health care, paid sick days, and paid holidays where they do not exist
  • Fair pay for all hours worked;
  • An end to the pressure placed on bank employees to sell products instead of being rewarded and encouraged to give appropriate advice to customers;
  • A commitments to and respect for the right of all employees to join together and form trade union organizations without opposition or obstacles from the company;
  • Compliance of national legislation in all countries

”Banking on Workers” Rights in HSBC” global campaign was launched in Sao Paulo Brazil. UNI Apro Finance requests all HSBC employees in Asia & Pacific to sign up for the online petition calling the bank to sign a global framework agreement as the first step of the campaign.

Visit http://www.bankonrights.org for details to join the campaign.