The MUBE has accused HSBC Malta of dragging its feet in an investigation related to harassment and intimidation because “preferred” officials were involved.

The union of bank employees said that it has been informed of “what is expected to be a probable and biased outcome” in relation to disciplinary proceedings against these senior management officials.

It said that acts of harassment and intimidation have been ignored following the presentation of clear evidence and affidavits. The court had also made a ruling in this regard.

The bank employees union said that HSBC Malta has dragged its feet to conclude specific investigations and has created a situation whereby "the victimized employees were left directly managed by the same manager who threatened them and against whom they were testifying." On the other hand an MUBE official who “misplaced a bag was swiftly, aggressively and harshly punished pending full investigations.” The union was referring to a case that happened last October, when a bank employee who is also an MUBE official reported that his briefcase was missing. The official was subsequently suspended.

The MUBE said that this is unacceptable by any normal standard and accused the bank of adopting a two weights two measures approach. “This is unacceptable especially when bank officials have been, and are still being disciplined and subjected to heavy sanctions including dismissal for doing much less serious wrong doings.”

The union said that “HSBC is refusing to conclude a number of other investigations which are also long overdue. It expects that discipline is applied across the board irrespective of grade and nationality. “More so, the bank had committed to conclude these investigations in the compromise agreement signed in April. The agreement is being already blatantly breached by the bank,” the MUBE insisted.

MUBE will internally discuss a line of action and “it may decide to direct its members accordingly as a symbolic show of support to the union official whilst protesting about the two weights two measures practice that has been introduces in Malta by HSBC.”