The root of the problems at the HSBC were the bank’s unilateral decisions and the bank’s ‘old school’ practices to people management, which were leaving staff demotivated, the Malta Union of Bank Employees said this morning.

The union and the bank have been locked in a dispute over a collective agreement, with the union holding a strike of several days last month.

It said in a statement it was becoming all the more evident that the mess created was due to the bank’s intransigence which was being proved by management rejecting mediation.

The MUBE said it was seriously concerned and worried with the CEO’s “incorrect and untrue” statements to staff.

The union said it sought mediation only when there was serious disagreement or a stalemate but the bank’s previous CEO made himself available for negotiations and chose to remain distant. However, he still found it easy to reject mediation for no valid reason.

Furthermore, it was his sole decision to unilaterally withdraw the package, which had again been recommended by the Noel Vella, director of industrial and employment relations following a reconciliation meeting between the bank and the union at his office.