Budget sickness, banking unions united in the fight against commercial pressure

Here we go again. The commercial pressures in the banks are back. And to say that the contract of the 270,000 bankers, signed on 23 November, incorporated the 2017 agreements (Article 56a) against budget sickness. Instead, just 7 months after the signing, the flyers of the unions have reappeared, which in a united manner have brought back the bankers' malaise. UniCredit, Intesa Sanpaolo and Banco Bpm are the three institutions, the largest by the way, that have ended up in the crosshairs of the trade unions. This time, however, there is a new element: in addition to the budget malaise, there are the trade unions' Sos related to staff shortages.

'Business policies and workloads, this is not how it goes'. This is the title of the communiqué jointly signed by the five most representative trade unions in the banking sector (Fabi, First Cisl, Fisac CGil, Uilca, Unisin). The document is dated 24 June. In the meetings with the bank, it is stressed, 'the widespread problems reported to us regarding commercial pressures and workloads, which are on the increase both in the network and in the directorates, due to frequent reconversions and a severe shortage of staff' were presented 'to the company. A list of complaints: daily and individual monitoring of sales and 'even on an individual customer basis', 'a succession of continuous\requests for data, often one to one, without any added value in terms of content, behaviour that makes the workplace uncomfortable, especially if targets are not met'. And then the shortage of staff with 'frequent moves to "plug holes"' and 'the difficulty in obtaining part time'. The document concludes with a request for 'respect for work and people' because 'these are indispensable elements aimed at promoting a positive and dignified working environment'. UniCredit preferred not to comment.

"It seems that nothing can stop the commercial drive of the group's top management. A constant commercial pressure, which clashes harshly with the reality experienced by those who work every day in the commercial network": this is the harsh beginning of the 25 June leaflet, signed by all five trade unions present in Banco Bpm, entitled "It's never enough!". The denunciation of commercial pressures goes hand in hand with that of staff shortages. "We find ourselves dealing with unprecedented commercial pressure," it reads, "The targets achieved are never enough and the peremptory demands for results violate the rules established by the relevant agreements recently included in the Ccnl". The trade unions use strong tones: 'We know from experience that this way of working harms not only bankers and their health but also customers'. No comment from Banco Bpm.

"Commercial pressures are back, renamed by the company as 'moments of commercial intensity', which judging by the July targets we could see are even on the increase'. This is what can be read in the unitary communiqué of the territorial co-ordinations of Intesa Sanpaolo employees in Romagna. The leaflet is dated 5 July. The day before, the Marche co-ordination of the five Intesa Sanpaolo trade unions circulated a document denouncing an 'unusual escalation of commercial pressures'. For both Emilia Romagna and Marche, problems on the workload side were underlined. Intesa Sanpaolo preferred not to comment.