The employees of Alpha Bank Romania are trying to protect themselves against future layoffs before their bank is taken over by UniCredit Romania by pressing for a 2-year collective labor agreement with the current employer, Profit.ro reported.

The trade union wants the employees made redundant following the takeover to be paid 12 severance salaries, such as in other banks like BRD, BCR, Raiffeisen, and CEC. The bank's management reportedly proposed only 6 monthly salaries as severance payments, in line with the provisions of the labor contracts at UniCredit Romania.

It would be the first contract negotiated by the Vocea Noastra trade union, established by the employees of Alpha Bank only a few months ago. 

After almost three months of discussions, the negotiations have failed. 

There are, however, a few more steps to take before a collective labor conflict can be initiated.

"I can confirm to you today that the negotiations have failed, and the legal steps will be followed before the collective labor conflict is triggered," Luminița Gabriela Tudosie, the leader of the Vocea Noastra union from Alpha Bank, told Profit.ro.

Unlike Alpha Bank, UniCredit is also a member of the Romanian Bank Patronage Council (CPBR), along with BCR, BRD, ING Bank, and Raiffeisen Bank, which negotiates a collective labor agreement with the Federation of Bank and Insurance Unions every year branch. However, it has minimal provisions for the signatory banks, which can individually decide on better conditions for their employees.

At the moment, the CPBR unions and employers, which include UniCredit, are conducting negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement, with expectations of completion by the end of April.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Cristi Croitoru/Dreamstime.com)