The Malta Union of Bank Employees has objected to the contents of a circular issued by HSBC in which staff are invited to apply to work in the branch network against “a so-called one-time incentive payment”.

What this meant was, the MUBE said, that instead of trying to seriously and effectively address the “excessive targets issue”, the bank was resorting to the materialistic approach of trying to lure staff to work in the branches. The “excessive targets” problem, which the MUBE did not explain, would not be solved this way.

Another proposal which it has insisted on, the MUBE said, was a possible review of the current set-up which should include the re-description of several roles complemented by a re-evaluation process with the aim of effectively updating the set-up.