The Malta Union of Banking Employees members have voted in favour of extending a strike due to a dispute with HSBC. 

HSBC staff have been on strike since Saturday. Talks were held between HSBC and the MUBE yesterday, though no progress was registered. Talks continued today, but it seems that no progress was registered and the union's members voted in favour of extending the strike. It is also undestood that they may organise a protest march in Valletta. 

The union called a meeting for its members after talks which were mediated by the Malta Employers Association. After members were updated about the developments of the day, a vote was taken and the decision to effect another day of strike action was implemented. Some said that HSBC ATMs around the country are running low on cash and that some are not dispensing any bank notes as they are empty and have not been refilled.

The union's directive applies for employees of HSBC Bank Malta, affecting Head Office and branch staff but not the Swieqi call centre, which is run by a separate company.

Last week the MUBE ordered a sit in strike for bank employees after talks on a new collective agreement stalled. The bank union said HSBC had initially endorsed the collective agreement drafted last year but then backtracked and offered a much smaller package than what was initially agreed upon. It also accused the bank management of adopting an arrogant attitude towards its employees.

On Friday, the MUBE ordered bank employees not to report for work on Saturday and Tuesday (today is a bank holiday) over the fact that the bank "chose to threaten Lock Out instead of sending concrete counter-proposals." Up to 90% of the bank's 900 employees have obeyed the directive.