HSBC Group’s European Council, made up of employee representatives from across the EU, met in Malta for the first time at the end of last month.

Twenty-five delegates representing thirteen European countries, in which HSBC operates, discussed employee issues affecting EU countries. The council, which meets twice a year, is chaired by HSBC Group’s general manager Peter Boyles.

HSBC Bank Malta is represented on the bank’s European Council by Mr Anthony Vella Gregory, who represents managerial employees and Mr Noel Bartolo, who represents clerical employees.

Mr Bartolo is also a member of the Council’s Steering Committee which monitors action on the decisions taken at meetings and makes arrangements for forthcoming meetings.

The European Council is a very important forum for employees in the EU. It gives employees, through their elected representatives, the opportunity to discuss issues that are affecting workers across the continent. The UK, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and, of course, Malta were all represented at the Malta meeting.

The HSBC European Council was set up following EU legislation through which companies with more than 150 employees in at least two EU countries and over 1,000 employees in total may be requested to set up a European Works Council.

The Council meets twice a year in the UK but every two years holds a meeting in another country. The Malta meeting was the third which the council held outside the UK following similar meetings in France in 2002 and in Germany in 2004.

Apart from discussing areas which affect employees across the EU and making their recommendations to HSBC Group, the council also discussed the 2005 Group financial results as well receiving a business update on the performance of the bank in the Malta and in the EU.

“The European Council is not just an opportunity to discuss work-related problems and make suggestions. It is also an effective communication tool between the bank and its employees. I am certain the meeting in Malta will produce excellent results for the benefit of all HSBC employees across the Group,” said HSBC Bank Malta chief executive Shaun Wallis, who hosted the conference in Malta.