The President of UniCredit Bank’s Trade Union Dismissed with Immediate Effect

“The Trade Union of the UniCredit Bank Hungary Group has gained significant support over the past year, with nearly half of the employees joining us an unprecedented development. On April 14, the president of our trade union was dismissed with immediate effect. We express our outrage over the procedure, which we regard as a move against our union,” the UniCredit Trade Union said in a statement sent to our newspaper.

We contacted the press department of UniCredit Bank to ask for the company’s position regarding the case. They responded as follows:

“The employee’s employment was terminated due to a serious breach of obligations, and not because of their position within the trade union. We are unable to disclose further details of the matter due to the individual’s personal rights.”

Attorney Szabó Imre Szilárd, legal representative of the dismissed union president, briefly told 24.hu that the incident occurred during ongoing wage negotiations, and that the core issue of the legal dispute is whether the employee violated rules concerning the protection of business secrets. He added that they will soon take the matter to court, while emphasizing that the most favorable outcome would be for the employer to withdraw its legal declaration.

An Organic Organization

According to Szabó Imre Szilárd, the UniCredit Trade Union is unique within the financial sector, as no similar organically organized initiative has emerged in the industry over the past decade.

Out of the approximately 1,750 employees currently working at UniCredit Bank Hungary Zrt., around 750 have now joined the union. The organization was established in the second half of 2024, and its membership has grown significantly over the past year. The union includes employees from all divisions and corporate group entities of the bank, broadly representing all business lines and support functions.