Unions accuse banking of “grace and contempt” for 2% increase

“ Nthe session of September 11, the date of the resumption of the discussion after the estival period, the negotiating group of credit institutions (GNIC) sat at the table with the unions of the UGT to announce the end of the negotiations ", says a joint statement of More Union, National Union of Banking Workers, Insurance and Technologies (SBC) and Union of Workers of the Financial Sector of Portugal (SBN).

In the document, the three unions point out that credit institutions, “with increasingly usual arrogance in their relationship with workers”, merely informed the union structures that they would not change the 2% proposal for wage increases this year.

The 2% proposal, which had already been submitted several months ago, followed the initial proposal of 1.5%, just at the opening of the negotiating tables about a year ago.

Moreover, SBN and SBC accuse banks of adopting a “total lack of consideration and respect for active and retired bankers” when proposing “mixed wages” increase.

For the three unions, the 2% increase proposal represents “a new loss of purchasing power for active workers and pensioners”, exacerbating the difficulties they face due to the increased cost of living.

The three unions also said that their directions will meet urgently “to deliberate the measures to be taken in the face of this unacceptable banking behaviour”.

Moreover, SBN and SBC also say that the “gain and contempt” of banking reaches a maximum level by saying that they cannot go beyond the proposed value, “despite historically high results” and profits “of many millions of euros”.