Strike action at HSBC withdrawn

The strike action at HSBC Bank Malta which was meant to take place today has been withdrawn.

The Malta Union of Bank Employees and General Workers' Union withdrew the strike action after HSBC confirmed full recognition of the agreement for bank employees signed last April when HSBC bought off Mid-Med from the government.

This confirmation ended the industrial action following yesterday's

conciliatory meeting called by Frank Pullicino, the industrial and employment relations director, at his office in Valletta.

MUBE and GWU delegations attended the meeting with the bank officials

and discussed last April's agreement signed by the finance minister in the presence of the highest-ranking bank officials.

The strike had been ordered after the management failed to confirm that it would follow this agreement which included a clause repenting the bank from sacking workers without a voluntary scheme in agreement with the GWU and the MUBE.

MUBE President William Portelli said: "We are pleased with the agreement reached between the two parties.

"In consequence, the strike action was stopped and this augured that negotiations of the collective agreement will continue at a steady pace."