Employment director recommends investigation into alleged bullying at BOV - MUBE

A bank has been accused of remaining passive on investigations relating to alleged cases of bullying.

In a statement, the Malta Union of Bank Employees (MUBE) strongly condemned Bank of Valletta’s management behaviour and said the director of employment and human relations has now ordered an investigation.

The union said the case goes back to January when a bank employee had reported to human resources.

The employee claimed that he was being bullied by a colleague who unilaterally decided to claim “managerial status” and by his superior.

A statement of facts and continuous emails were sent to the human resources department but the employee never received any official reply and was “unjustly and abusively” transferred from the department concerned.

At this point, MUBE said, no investigation has been started and the affected staff member had gone out on sick leave due to health reasons as a consequence of such a move.

MUBE said it discussed the matter with the executive head of HR and the CEO on various occasions with and as an investigation was not being conducted by the bank, it had no other option but to refer the issue to the Director of Employment and Industrial Relations.

The latter recommended that such investigation should be concluded within 15 days and that the person who had been transferred by the bank “for his own good” would immediately be reinstated in his post.

MUBE said it be taking the case further to the industrial tribunal and was also considering taking serious action as an act of solidarity with this staff member.

It said it had already brought BOV’s attention to another case of bullying, which was also ignored by the bank.