Lawmaker slams unfair labor practices, union busting in HSBC

Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano yesterday threw his support to a union leader sacked by the management of banking giant Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), a month before Labor Day.

Raymund Acena, president of Hong Kong Bank Independent Labor Union (HBILU), a legitimate registered union in HSBC and the exclusive bargaining agent for 465 union members was terminated by the HSBC management early this month during the ‘freedom period’ days before the start of negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the union and bank management.

Prior to Acena’s termination, the HSBC management placed him under a 30-day preventive suspension, apparently due to his active involvement in the campaign against outsourcing and labor contractualization and in union activities upholding the rights of HSBC bank employees.

“Acena’s termination is an obvious act of union busting,” said Mariano.

In 2009, the HBILU submitted two cases of unfair labor practice against the HSBC management for relocating its business office to Alabang and for outsourcing 450 jobs.

There were already 90 resignations since and the union’s cases are both pending in the Court of Appeals (CA).

Together with other bank employees’ unions, HBILU actively campaigned against outsourcing practices in the banking industry that resulted to the filing of House Resolution 363.

The resolution aims to investigate the widespread practice of outsourcing of banking functions as allowed by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) Circular 268. –Charlie V. Manalo, Daily Tribune