The Malta Union of Bank Employees yesterday decided to escalate industrial action at HSBC, instructing members not to serve clients after the bank and the union failed to agree on a new collective agreement proposed in August.

MUBE president William Portelli told this newspaper the union was asking for fair bargaining as opposed to taking decisions unilaterally.

The industrial action kicked off on Friday with a communications ban and no overtime and was escalated yesterday after no counter-proposal was received.

The collective agreement asks for salary increases and a reduction in home loan interest rates, among other issues.

The General Workers Union has also directed its members to follow the industrial directives issued by MUBE.

Employees felt they were not being rewarded for the hard work performed

The employees, the GWU said, felt they were not being rewarded for the hard work performed in the past two years.

“The said minimal increases do not reflect the way HSBC promises to continue to invest and incentivise its team on the ground to provide the highest level of service to the customers and the community.”

An HSBC spokesman said that while arrangements had been put into effect to minimise customer impact, the bank regretted the action and remained open to a negotiated solution that would be in the best interest of the bank’s employees, customers and shareholders.

The bank, he said, had put forward a pay and benefits package that was above inflation and very competitive in the current market and economic environment.

HSBC Malta advised its customers that a multifunctional ATM service was available in all branches, and emergency cash withdrawal via tellers within branches was available in the Paola, Valletta and Sliema branches (during branch opening hours).