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Bank workers demand global giants HSBC and Santander respect union rights



HSBC and Santander workers in over 20 countries throughout the world have taken global action to demand the banks put their commitment to workers in writing and sign Global Agreements with UNI Global Union.



In a push to advance the workers cause, union delegations in Spain, France, India, Australia, Pakistan, Argentina,, Brazil, Uruguay, USA and other countries met with local HSBC and Santander management. Letters addressed to bank CEO Stephen Green of HSBC and Santander President, Emilio Botin were hand delivered with a message demanding all workers have the right to join a union and be treated with fairness and respect.



In Malaysia 200 workers demonstrated outside HSBC offices in support of HSBC signing a global agreement with UNI Global Union. Over 750 HSBC workers signed the memorandum to management in support of the Global Agreement. The CEO of HSBC Malaysia met the union to receive the letter and had a short discussion with the union members.



To date, HSBC has refused to meet with UNI Global Union to discuss a Global Agreement. Despite the fact that they have signed the Global Compact, which is supposed to signify their commitment to labour principles, they still refuse to meet. Santander are considering the request, but have not agreed to meet with UNI Global Union to discuss a Global Agreement.



A global agreement between HSBC/Santander and UNI Global Union will ensure workers’ rights to union recognition without employer interference or resistance and improve processes for dealing with conflict both locally and globally. There is scope in a global agreement for applying transnational industrial relations that can be tailored to national systems through coordinated dialogue between the global and national bodies.



HSBC and Santander workers throughout the world are sharing their stories of why the bank needs to sign a global agreement.



In 2009, bank workers in Brazil went on strike when the banking federation representing Santander and HSBC refused to engage with the union on issues around pay and working conditions. The matter was resolved with the union following the strike.



HSBC workers in Mexico claim HSBC are deducting their wages to cover the bank’s losses from problem accounts. US workers report they are often encouraged to push debt and high-fee products onto customers who don’t need them, and they fear retribution and possibly even losing their jobs if they speak out against these practices.



“HSBC and Santander are market leaders in global retail banking,” said Oliver Röthig, Head of UNI Finance Global Union. “Together they employ 466,000 staff across the globe. These banks should prove they are serious about their CSR commitments by signing a global agreement with the national unions who represent their workers. UNI Finance has united these unions and their members in global union alliances of HSBC and Santander workers. We are ready to talk.”



UNI has asked the banks to set up meetings to start the process of agreeing and signing a Global Agreement.



“It will be a great result for workers in these banks if we achieve real negotiations for a Global Agreement. This is the recipe for changing the flavour of banking for the future and it is good for the banks bottom line too,” Röthig said.