Bank of Valletta and the Malta Union of Bank Employees announced today that they have concluded negotiations on the collective agreement for  2011-2013.

“Developing solidarity between generations of workers: good practices to increase employment rates of youth and of workers over 55. The case of the banking sector”

The Malta Union of Bank Employees – MUBE is a partner in the FIBA-CISL project on ''Developing solidarity between generations of workers: good practices to increase employment rates of youth and of workers over 55''.  The kick off meeting took place recently in Seville.

2012 is the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.

Active ageing includes creating more opportunities for older people to continue working, to stay healthy longer and to continue to contribute to society in other ways. The EU has a role to play in areas such as employment, social protection and inclusion, public health, information society and transport, but the primary role is for national, regional and local governments, as well as civil society and the social partners.

More information on Active Aging can be found here http://europa.eu/ey2012/ and http://apf.fiba.it/activeageing.nsf

European trade unions say "NO" to new EU stability treaty

UNI Europa calls treaty anti-social, anti-democratic and anti-European. Trade unions mobilise across Europe to stop governments from cementing in neo-liberal austerity policies for years to come

“With this Treaty, EU governments drive the European model against the wall – and in the process they drive over workers and citizens,” said Oliver Roethig, UNI Europa Regional Secretary, at the ETUC Steering Committee. “We as trade unions and citizens need to stop this. Sinking the Treaty is our 1st priority! As trade unions we will mobilise at all levels.”

The European trade unions organise a Day of Action on 29 February across Europe.

The Treaty is a further element in the neo-liberal counter-revolution that uses the financial crisis as a pretext for austerity policies and an open attack on trade unions.

Following extensive negotiations, HSBC Bank Malta and the Malta Union of Bank Employees (MUBE) has recently reached an agreement on a new Collective Agreement for the Bank's clerical and managerial employees for the period 2011-2013.

MUBE lately attended the conference entitled "Equality between women and men" which took place in Brussels on 19 and 20 September. The conference brought together more than 400 participants from European institutions, international organisations, Member States, social partners and civil society. It marked the first year of the Strategy for equality between women and men (2010-2015) which was adopted on 21 September 2010. It was also an opportunity to have important debates around the key priorities of the Strategy.

A delegation of the Council of the Malta Union of Bank Employees – MUBE, led by the President Mr. William Portelli, recently met the Head of Representation of the European Commission, Mr. Martin Bugelli, at Dar l-Ewropa in Valletta. Mr. Bugelli welcomed the members present and briefly explained the role of the Representation. He thanked Mr. Portelli and the other representatives and spoke highly of the sterling effort trade unions make both at national and at European level. The EU, he said, is well equipped to make the best use of social partners through its structures for social dialogue.