Solidarity with Santander workers in America
Telecoms & Financial Services, Union Matters November 27 2017The CWU has delivered an unequivocal message of solidarity to trade unionists at Santander in America who are battling for basic union rights in the face of blatant union-busting activity by the bank’s American bosses.
Last month CWU representatives from Bootle, Leicester and Bradford heard harrowing first-hand accounts of the depths to which to which the company’s US division has plunged to keep unions out of North America’s entirely un-unionised banking sector.
The meeting, organised by UNI Global Union and facilitated in London by the CWU, brought a brave group of workers who are attempting to organise in Santander USA together their counterparts in Britain where Santander UK has a long and positive track record of working in partnership with the CWU.
Despite Santander’s enlightened approach to trade unions not just in Britain, but across Europe and South America as well, the UK delegation emerged shocked and astonished by the lengths to which the bank’s US management has been prepared to go to frighten off workers from even joining a union – let alone attempting to organise in the workplace with a view to securing collective bargaining rights.
One of the US workers at the meeting had been sacked as a direct result of her Communication Workers of America (CWA) union activities, and the others told of a climate of fear that is being systematically orchestrated by management in a bid to deter employees from seeking trade union representation.
Speaking after the meeting CWU deputy general secretary Andy Kerr pledged the union’s total support for CWA’s attempts to organise on behalf of Santander’s American workforce.
That support will take the form of an on-going dialogue between CWA activists and their CWU counterparts at both a national and grassroots level – the intention being to showcase the positive approach shown to unions by Santander in the UK and across much of the rest of the world to workers in America so they can fully appreciate how out-of-sync Santander USA’s management is with prevailing management practices elsewhere.
CWU assistant secretary John East explains: “To be honest the entire CWU delegation were staggered to hear what is happening in Santander’s US operation because it is so far removed from our experience of dealing with the company in the UK.”
CWU ALGUS National Branch president Debbie Cort agreed the meeting had been “a real eye-opener,” adding: “It’s really important that we support our colleagues in the US because all they are seeking is a fundamental right that we’ve enjoyed in the UK for a very long time.”
Northern & National Financial Services branch secretary John Nicholas pointed out that management behaviours towards unions by Santander USA seemed “bizarre” given the bank’s positive relationship with unions in over 20 other countries.
Dan Lewis of Bootle Financial Services branch stressed it was hard for Santander’s UK workers to even start to comprehend the way in which the bank’s US management is “intimidating and disrespecting” its workforce in a bid to keep unions out.
Karen Hall of Bradford Financial Services concluded: “There’s just so much evidence that companies that are unionised are more productive, far happier places to work at and have a lot better morale – and Santander UK seem to understand that and work actively towards it with the CWU.
“I just don’t understand why they ‘re not doing the same in the US – hopefully the penny will drop soon.”
- The contrast between Santander USA’s hostility to trade unions and the Bank’s enlightened approach across Europe was highlighted at the end of October when worker representatives from across the continent gathered at Santander’s global headquarters in Madrid for management’s annual meeting with the European Works Council.
The CWU was represented by assistant secretary John East and ALGUS National Branch president Debbie Cort, respectively pictured top right and second from right (bottom row) in the group picture of management and worker rep attendees.