Banking sector: Social Partners’ review of The joint Statement of 2005 On Employment & Social Affairs in the European Banking sector, some aspects related to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

European social partners in the banking sector have agreed in November 2013 and signed on 31st January a joint statement on CSR. It revises the Joint Statement which had already been signed in 2005, taking into account the sector’s current challenges after the financial crisis.

(Press release) The social partners agreed that nine years after the first joint statement on CSR, the time has come to mark the sector’s endeavours by agreeing this revision. The undersigned are convinced that the statement will contribute to a dynamic boost in the European banking sector, focusing on what is most valuable: workers and employment. The signatory parties (UNI Europa Finance, European Association of Co-operative Banks, European Banking Federation and the European Savings and Retail Banking Group) see the Joint Statement on CSR as a positive signal which they envisage to send also to bank sector social partners at national level. More specifically they point out that information and consultation in multinational enterprises can be important and helpful tools to find solutions in difficult situations, especially with regard to employment and support of the staff. In the CSR joint statement, European social partners “recognise that the European social dialogue banking has an important role to play in order to strengthen attractiveness and confidence to help in the process of the growth of sustainable profitability and employment in the sector.”