Press releases and events

Unite will fight for jobs in finance

Unite logo for press releasesUnite logo for press releases

Wednesday, 08, Oct 2008 12:00

Unite's senior employee representatives from across the financial services, will hold an emergency meeting this Wednesday (8th October), to draw up plans to protect their members in the face of the credit crunch.

The union will develop a charter to fight for jobs in finance and will be looking to hold employers to account for their disgraceful behaviour, which has brought a highly profitable industry to the brink of collapse.

Following the take-over of HBOS by Lloyds TSB and the part nationalisation of Bradford and Bingley, the union is warning employers that they will not accept compulsory redundancies in the banking industry.

The union is calling for a fundamental overhaul of the banking system, with tougher regulatory requirements. The union will also call for an end to the offshoring of finance work and for the culprits of the credit crunch to be held to account.

Unite's deputy general secretary, Graham Goddard said,

"There are hundreds of thousands of staff working for the financial services in branches, call centres and back offices right across the country. They are not the culprits of the credit crunch and we are not prepared to allow them to become the victims.

"Unite's senior representatives from across the financial services are launching a campaign to fight for their jobs and their industry. We will use all our legal rights and political influence to campaign for job security and an end to greed and irresponsibility.

"Its time to hold employers to account. Their disgraceful behaviour and cavalier attitudes to lending and risk has brought a highly profitable industry to the brink of collapse."

The union will be launching a drive to galvanise workers in the financial services and lobby MPs, MEPs and the regulator to call for an overhaul of the banking system.

Unite is Britain's biggest union with 180 000 members working in the financial services. The union has members at LTSB, HBOS and Northern Rock. As mergers and take-overs intensify, the staff working in the financial services must be protected. Most people working in the financial services survive on modest incomes. They are not the big city bankers who caused the credit crunch, they are the victims. The starting salary for many workers in the financial services is as little as £12,000 a year.

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931 315

Disclaimer:
Press releases published on this page are from key opinion formers who promote their organisation's activities by subscribing to a campaign site within politics.co.uk. politics.co.uk does not endorse, edit, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases are wholly the responsibility of the originating company or organisation.

Latest press releases

Unite's reaction to Brown's help for mortgages

"There is nothing more important than keeping a roof over our families' heads and Gordon Brown has shown that he understands this and is prepared to act."

Unite: Union leader defends speaker of the House of Commons

Derek Simpson, Unite's joint general secretary has today spoken out in support of Michael Martin, speaker of the House of Commons and accuses the Tories of a witchhunt based on snobbery.

Unite calls for action against employers using the credit crunch as an excuse to cut jobs

Derek Simpson, joint leader of Unite, Britain's biggest union will today (Tuesday 2nd December) urge the Government to take action against unscrupulous and trigger-happy employers attempting to use the credit crunch as an excuse to cut jobs.

Strike could hit UK poultry supply and Sunday lunch says Unite

Unite, the UK’s biggest union, is to ballot its members at three sites within the Two Sisters Food Group for industrial action over low pay.