Slovakian UniCredit workers strike and win higher wages 

The first strike of bank workers in Slovakia against a multinational has brought results.  

UniCredit employees in Bratislava, members of UNI affiliate Základnej organizácie odborového zväzu pri UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia (General trade union organization at UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia), walked off the job on 12 December demanding better wages, and four days later, they reached a collective agreement securing better pay for workers. 

The strike was the culmination of a months-long conflict between the union and UniCredit Bank. 

“As we enter the holiday season, we are happy that UniCredit workers in Slovakia have something extra to celebrate: a new collective agreement with the wages they deserve,” said Angelo Di Cristo, Head of UNI Global Union’s Finance sector. 

In addition to international solidarity, the strike was supported nationally. The President of the Confederation of Trade Unions (KOZ) of the Slovak Republic Monika Uhlerová noted that there is a myth that bank employees are well off, but the opposite is true. She said that banks have accumulated unprecedented profits over the last few years and are not willing to share with their employees.