PRESS RELEASE
EBF-BCESA: Joint Declaration on Employment Aspects of Providing Financial Services including Guidance
BRUSSELS, 12 May – The Joint Declaration on Employment Aspects of Providing Financial Services Including Guidance has been signed by the social partners in the European Banking Sector.
EBF’s Banking Committee for European Social Affairs (EBF-BCESA) along with European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG) and European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB) signed the Joint Declaration with UNI Europa Finance.
In the current COVID-19 crisis banks and its employees play a critical role in providing financial services to all areas of the economy.
“With this new Joint Declaration, the Social Partners of the banking sector introduce a framework and acknowledge good practices for providing sustainable financial services to the citizens of Europe, in and after the COVID crisis”, says Jens Thau, Chairman of EBF-BCESA.
The European Banking sector continues to be a key actor in ensuring stable markets, supporting job creation and stimulating growth and development. Consequently, Social Partners agreed that one of the main functions of financial institutions is to provide reliable and sustainable financial services to support long-term social and economic development for the benefit of Europe.
With full respect to the areas of competence of the social partners at the various and appropriate levels, the Joint Declaration highlights the employment and social aspects of providing financial services, within both the EU and national legislative frameworks and the multiple financial services strategies applicable in Europe’s various banking institutions.
„The Joint Declaration promotes an accurate implementation of the various banking strategies at the employee/client interface”, says Michael Kammas, Vice-Chairman of EBF-BCESA.
In addition to information, training and awareness-raising activities, respecting of professional values, sustainability, data protection and regulatory compliance are addressed in the Joint Declaration as key items to achieve these goals while acknowledging the fundamental role of leadership and management as essential.
This Joint Declaration is another important evidence of the European Social Partners‘ initiative to promote the common goal of securing and enhancing the important role of the banking sector, to strengthen the overall reputation and trust towards the banking industry and to enhance visibility of the crucial role of employees to achieve these goals.
About the EBF:
The European Banking Federation is the voice of the European banking sector, bringing together national banking associations from across Europe. The EBF is committed to a thriving European economy that is underpinned by a stable, secure and inclusive financial ecosystem, and to a flourishing society where financing is available to fund the dreams of citizens, businesses and innovators everywhere. Website: www.ebf.eu Twitter: @EBFeu.
Media contact:
Raymond Frenken, Head of Communications
+32 496 52 59 47, r.frenken@ebf.eu
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EBF-BCESA leadership re-elected for a second 3-year term
• Jens Thau and Michael Kammas continue to serve as Chair and Vice-Chair
BRUSSELS, 29 November 2019 – The Banking Committee for European Social Affairs (BCESA) within the European Banking Federation has re-elected Jens Thau and Michael Kammas for a second three-year term, allowing them to continue to serve respectively as chairman and vice-chairman.
EBF-BCESA represents the interests of private banking employers at the European level. Both Dr Thau, Director at the German Federation of private Banking, known as AGV Banken, and Dr Kammas, Director General of Association of Cyprus Banks, have held their offices at BCESA already since 2013.
“Their re-election brings continuity and consistency to the sectoral dialogue on our side as employers,” said Wim Mijs, Chief Executive Officer of the EBF. “At a time of fundamental change in our sector such continuity is particularly important as it supports the constructive dialogue with our social partners.”
The reappointed BCESA-Leadership underlined the increased involvement and significance of European social partner projects in the banking sector.
„In recent years we have reached a new level of quality in our collaboration with social partners,” said Dr Thau. “We developed a common understanding regarding important topics like telework and digitalisation. With this we create true added value for the social partners at national level. We would like to consistently continue on this path.”
„We intensively assess the effects of regulation for the daily actions and behaviour of our employees,” said Dr Kammas. “With this we lay the foundation for a joint advocacy vis-a-vis regulators and banking supervisors.”
BCESA represents the interests of employers in the private banking sector at the European level towards the social partners. These include UNI-Finance, the European Commission and other international organisations, including the International Labour Organisation, regulators, banking supervisors and standardization organisations.
About the EBF:
The European Banking Federation is the voice of the European banking sector, bringing together national banking associations from across Europe. The EBF is committed to a thriving European economy that is underpinned by a stable, secure and inclusive financial ecosystem, and to a flourishing society where financing is available to fund the dreams of citizens, businesses and innovators everywhere. Website: www.ebf.eu Twitter: @EBFeu.
Media contact:
Raymond Frenken, Head of Communications
+32 496 52 59 47, r.frenken@ebf.eu
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Every Friday at noon you can receive the EBF Weekly + Financial Regulation Agenda. This agenda presents an overview of upcoming European and international meetings and conferences in financial regulation, as well as important general financial and economic events and key EBF meetings for the week ahead. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE
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]]>Introduction by Wim Mijs, CEO of the European Banking Federation
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Brussels, 20 March 2019
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AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank the Romanian Presidency of the Council and the European Commission for inviting the European Banking Federation in the Tripartite Social Summit, to present the views of banks.
Family photo of the Tripartite Social Summit, taking place on 20 March 2019, in Brussels.
On behalf of the EBF, I would like to share with you some considerations regarding the societal responsibility of banks vis-à-vis individuals, companies and governments arising from their essential role of financing the economy.
The EBF promotes the implementation of the Investment Plan for Europe to foster jobs, growth and investments.
Also, as responsible partners, several European banks have already embraced sustainability as a key element in their business strategy.
We fully support the ambition of the European Union to be at the forefront of climate change and energy transition initiatives in order to achieve the objectives set out in the Paris Agreement and in the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
The EBF is one of the first endorsers of the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative aimed at launching a corpus of principles for responsible banking.
Within the Social Europe, the banking sector strives to address social challenges deriving also from digitalisation.
We consider the social aspects of the Digital Single Market crucial both in terms of customers and human resources. Being also representatives of banks as employers, we are mindful that the digitalization of banking has determined new working modalities and customer expectations and we are in on-going dialogue with our European Social Partners on related issues.
Moreover, we are conscious that public-private partnerships are necessary to ensure customers’ inclusion and a safe use of digital banking services by enhancing digital skills and cybersecurity awareness. At the EBF we are particularly active to that end.
Governments, employers and workers should continue and intensify cooperation in order to close the skills gap of existing employees and adapt education curricula to better prepare future employees.
The European Sectoral Social Dialogue in Banking needs to continue to provide the framework for Social Partners to work closely together in addressing the employment issues arising from digitalization and regulation.
Thank you very much.
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]]>Publication date: 08 March 2017
Tripartite Social Summit
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the European Banking Federation, I would like to contribute three points to the discussion:
European banks believe in and abide to the fundamental European value of protecting workers and industries. Banks are traditionally offering high standard employment conditions and are committed to finding solutions to employment issues through Social Dialogue. Looking back, at EU level, we have concluded with our Social Partners Joint Statements and Recommendations on a number of important issues such as IT-Employability in the Banking Sector, Lifelong Learning, and Corporate Social Responsibility, and have launched initiatives to enhance financial literacy: the annual European Money Week and the Financial Education Platform are EBF flagships. Moreover, as “Triple A” is a concept coming from the financial sector, we believe we can continue to be “Triple A employers” in the future.
However, there are challenges. Employment in the banking sector is not immune to the emergence of new technologies and, with them, the changes in consumer preferences that have led to digital banking. The Digital Single Market is a fantastic opportunity for banks and Social Dialogue is a key element in our adaptation to this new environment. Two main issues to be considered here:
- Banks need to acquire new talents to seize the new business opportunities related to innovation. We are already investing heavily in financial technology. But this is not enough. We need our educational system to be re-oriented towards the digital economy. This is important, if Europe is to maintain its global competitive standing, also in banking.
- Retraining policies are also essential. I cannot stress enough how important digital skills are! Our workers have to acquire the digital skills that will enable them to adapt to the new ways of service delivery. Banks are willing to take action in this respect by becoming members of the European Union’s Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, an initiative for which I would like to warmly congratulate the Commission.
Last, the future of banking in Europe is streamlined by the evolution of the Banking Union, which we strongly support. The related regulatory developments will have an impact on business models and time will tell how much a single rulebook and a single supervisory system will contribute to that. These processes will certainly affect employment levels in our sector. In addition to our efforts for the acquisition of new talents and the re-training of our current employees, the possible emergence of pan-European banks could put worker mobility and transferable skills issues in the scope of our discussions with our Social Partners in the years to come.
Everything I have said will only work in a strong and healthy European Union. I do believe that Europe has brought us much and we will certainly celebrate with you the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome for what Europe has brought us and what it will still bring us!
Thank you very much.
Wim MIJS
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