Unicaja Banco has summoned the workers’ representatives on September 22 to begin negotiating the employment adjustment after the absorption of Liberbank.
In the communication sent to the unions, the bank informs of its intention to initiate the procedure of collective dismissal, collective transfer and substantial modification of working conditions contained in the Workers’ Statute.
Before the consultation period, the entity will open a negotiation process of at least 15 days to find formulas that allow minimizing the impact on the volume of employment, for which it has convened the union sections on September 22.
The entity has not anticipated any figures, although the CSIF union estimates that the process could affect around a thousand workers , not counting the 700 people who are on leave of absence at Liberbank.
From CCOO they foresee that it will not be a simple negotiation, but they have assured that they will work to defend the interests of the staff.
In this sense, they warn that in order to reach a labor agreement it will be necessary to guarantee employment, that there is absolute voluntary leave, that working conditions are preserved and improved and that the measures are not traumatic.
For this reason, CCOO (the majority union in the bank) has urged the Unicaja management to continue on the path of dialogue, consensus and negotiation that they have maintained until now.
Although Unicaja Banco has not made any statements, its managers have highlighted on several occasions that all issues related to the workforce have always been addressed in a consensual manner with the unions and that future labor negotiations will be rigorously analyzed, in compliance with the normative and with the greatest possible agreement between the parties.
The figures of the fifth largest bank in Spain
Unicaja Banco legally integrated Liberbank on July 30, an operation that has resulted in the fifth largest Spanish banking entity, with assets close to 113,000 million euros and more than 4.5 million customers.
The new Unicaja has some 9,700 employees and 1,400 offices, has a 4.7% market share in deposits and 4.2% in credit and remains a benchmark entity in six autonomous communities (Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Cantabria and Asturias).
According to the merger plan, the efficiency ratio will be around 50% and profitability will reach at least 6% in terms of ROTE in 2023, while synergies will reach 192 million euros per year, fully from of 2023.
