HSBC staff in Britain were to strike in their thousands on Friday in a dispute over pay and the biggest walk-out against a leading bank here for more than eight years, union officials said.
The global banking giant, which saw 2004 pre-tax profits soar 37% to 17,61-billion dollars (€13,29-billion), said it expected most of its 1 500 branches to remain open during the one-day strike held to coincide with HSBC’s annual general meeting in London.
”We have contingency plans in place and management and staff will work to ensure it is business as usual,” an HSBC spokesperson said.
About 10 500 HSBC staff belonging to the Amicus trade union voted to strike earlier this month. That left about 45 000 workers who were still expected at work Friday, the bank said.
Amicus has claimed that 10% of staff will receive no pay rise this year and a further 45% will be given an increase below the rate of inflation.
”Thousands of HSBC staff will be striking in protest at a derisory pay offer which has been imposed on them by the bank,” the union’s national officer David Fleming said.
”This is despite the fact that HSBC announced a record-breaking 9,6-billion-pound [annual pre-tax] profit in February.
”We regret any inconvenience to customers but the efforts we have made to resolve this dispute have fallen on deaf ears. The bank has simply refused to listen to its staff,” he added. – Sapa-AFP