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COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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QUESTIONNAIRE FOR COLLECTING
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM
SECTORAL TRADE UNIONS

Ι. SECTOR'S FEATURES.

1. What kind of companies does the financial sector in your country
include (i.e banks, insurance companies, stock exchange bureaus etc. ).
Please mention the main sub-sectors and if possible the number of companies in each sub-sector.
2. How many banks are present in the sector? (number of institutions in
years1990, 2000, 2005).
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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3. What was the market share of the 5 biggest banks in assets?
(percentage during the years 1990, 2000, 2005).

□ No data available
4. Are there in your sector any banks under the state's majority control?
What share did they have in the total of all banks of the sector.
□ No data available

5. Number of habitants corresponding in average to each branch

6. Number of habitants corresponding in average to each ATM during
the years 1990, 2000, 2005.
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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7. Balance of granted mortgage and consumer loans (including
balances of credit cards) as a percentage of the GNP during the years

8. Εcart of interest rates of deposits-credits during the years 1990, 2000,

□ No data available
9. Percentage of profitability evolution of the banks in your country
during the last 5 years 2001-2005 (per year/against the previous year). 2001 8% 2002 10.2% 2003 11% 2004 13.1% 2005 16.4%
□ No data available
10. Capital resources' yield of Banks during the last 5 years 2001-2005
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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□ No data available

ΙΙ. EMPLOYMENT FEATURES

1. Number of employed persons in the Banks on 31.12.2005 (men,
women and total). Comparison with corresponding data in the year 2000 for each category (percentage of average annual evolution).
2. Employees/Bank, employees/branch, rates and their evolution during
the period 2000-2005(percentage of average annual evolution).

3. Distribution of Banks' personnel according to their educational level
(high school degree, university degree, post graduate degree) on
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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* those who can not be placed among the above categories
□ No data available

4. Distribution (%) of employment in the Banks on 31.12.2005 and on
31.12.2000 per type of contract:

* Are considered as percentage of employees in the banks but they are
not counted in them.
□ No data available
5. Percentage of the total employment in the banks .
people under 35 years old Professional 4.5% 5% & Managerial staff COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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□ No data available
6. What percentage of the total employment in the banks corresponded
giving motives in order to avoid redundancies) Individual
□ No data available

7. Is there any estimation about the percentage of unemployment in
your sector?

□x Yes □ Νο
If yes, please complete the corresponding numbers for the years 2000, 2005

8. Is there any estimation on the productivity level of employees in the
Banks?
□ Yes □ No
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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If yes, please α) identify the rate which is normally taken as approach of productivity .
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. And b) complete the corresponding numbers for the years 2000, 2005 and their average annual evolution (%) for the same period.
9. Which are, according to your consideration, the 3 most dynamic-in
great request job positions in the banks? (mention by order of importance). a)…Manaxherial staf …………………………… b)………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… c)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… other haven’t specifications because the labour market in bank sector is attractive For what reasons; have high salary and good conditions .
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10. Which are on the contrary the 3 most threatened job positions in the
banks? (mention by order of importance).
a)…Security employees
………………………………………………………………………………
b)… cash escort employees
……………………………………………………………………………………………
c)… cashbox employees
……………………………………………………………………………………………
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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.are cash escorts and users and are threatened by raiders. .
11. Which are the most important factors which determine the
employment evolution in the banks? (mention up to 5, by order of
importance).
a)… Sector expansion, the increase of the number of banks …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… expansion of bank services ……………………………………………………………………………………………
c)… expansion of the number of bank branches and agencies
……………………………………………………………………………………………
d) ………………………………………………………………………………….
e) ………………………………………………………………………………….
12. What was the percentage of the total wages expenditure in the
banks, in average, for education and training in the years 2000 and 2005
accordingly (infrastructure expenses are not included). □ No data available
13. What percentage of bank employees had access to a professional
training program in the company during the years 2000 and 2005

14. What percentage of bank employees had access to a program at
company or sectoral level during the years 2000 and 2005 accordingly
for.
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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□ No data available

15. Which are the most important experiences that your unions have
gained from their interventions for the protection of employment in the
sector? Which of them would you identify as "good practice" ?
.The banking sector is among the most required sectors regarding the employment area. .Our Federation has played a major role in restructuring and denationalizing the banking sector regarding; protection of employees, employment of the dismissed people due to restructuring and privatization of the banking sector, professional training and re-training of new employees; remuneration of the dismissed up to 15 salaries. .
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ΙΙΙ. TRADE UNION REPRESENTATION.

1. Which trade unions cover bank employees at sectoral level? (please
……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… c)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… d) …………………………………………………………………………………. e) …………………………………………………………………………………. COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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2. Which was the trade union density in the banks, (trade union
members/total of employees, as a percentage), during the years 1990,

□ No data available
3. Are the any separate sectoral unions for professional and managerial
staff in the banks in your country? □ Yes □ x No If yes, what is their total membership density (P&MS members of unions / total of P&MS in the sector)?

4. Are there in parallel with the sectoral unions (federations) any 1st level
unions (i.e. unions in each company) in the banks? □ Yes □ No If yes, how are they organized (in each bank, in each region or other?) what percentage of employees do they cover and what is their relation with the sectoral unions? ( please give a short description). .
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5. Give a brief description of the way that the sectoral bank employees
union is organized for the representation of its members (Administration, Committees, consultants, representatives at company level, if any). The organization is as follows: The unit organization of the banking branch and agency scale appoints the presidency and deputes representatives regarding the banking level. The delegates of each banking branch and agency appoint the council and the presidency of the trade-unions on the banking scale and thus, deputing representatives on the branch scale. The delegates of the branch scale appoint the council of the bank federation and the presidency as well, and depute representatives on a Conference or Congress scale of the FSTBSH. COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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IV. COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS, AGREEMENTS,
SETTLEMENT OF LABOUR DISPUTES

1. How many and which sectoral collective agreements cover
employees in the banks and by whom are they signed from the employers and the employees part accordingly? a)…Agreements in prime level with Ministry of Economy and Employ Confederation …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… Agreements in second level Agreement in ich bank …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… Agreements in basis level ……………………………………………………………………………………………
2. What is the usual duration of the agreements signed (i.e. annual,
biennial etc. )
One year and 2 years
3. Short description of the main issues regulated by those agreements.
a)… Salaries, bonuses to salaries, remunerations
. b)… …Employment, working hours, holidays, dismissal . c)… working conditions, protection at work, safety at work, insurance of employees . d). rade-union rights and freedoms, equality of sexes, non-discrimination, etc. COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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4. Are they allowed in your country regulations for employees in the
banks less favorable than those provided by their sectoral collective
agreements – namely exceptions with agreements per company? □ Yes □x No If yes, please refer to the regulation (law, agreement or other) which allows it and give particular examples of those exceptions per company. .
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5. Are there collective agreements signed in each company in the
□ xYes □ No If yes, who is competent to sign them and what kind of issues do they regulate? Are competent to sign them .The executive director or the representative authorized by him, and the appointed representation of the bank trade-union, the Presidency appointed by the base Issues that they are regulating (suggestively): a)… Salaries, bonuses to salaries, remuneration; …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… Employment, working hours, holidays, dismissal; …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… rade-unions rights and freedoms, equality of sexes, non-discrimination, etc …………………………………………………………………………………………… d). Special provisions for each employee according to his/her position at work . COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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6. Does the sectoral federation/s intervene in the negotiation of the
agreements at company level?
□x Yes □ No
If yes, in what way?
. Negotiate with the administrators and supervise, case after case, the
signing of the agreement on a company or bank scale

7. In cases where employers and employees do not agree for the
signature of a sectoral collective agreement, are there any mechanisms of reconciliation – arbitration and mediation – for resolving those differences? □x Yes □ No If yes, under what conditions – processes – characteristics? Give a brief description, mentioning if those processes were decided by law, bilateral collective agreement or other way. According to the Albanian Legislation of Labor, the manner of solving the conflicts in case of signed disputes is that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Issues and Equal Chances mediates between the parties and proposes commissions of conciliation and intercession.
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8. Which are the most important problems that the development of
social dialogue is facing in your country? Please mention by order of
importance. a)… Developments in the sector, increase in employment …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… extra salaries, training and re-training of employees ……………………………………………………………………………………………
c)… working hours, the assignment of each working position, working
conditions, protection at work, having the rights and equality of sexes
……………………………………………………………………………………………

9. What are unions in your sector doing for dealing with those problems
(interventions, targets)?
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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. The abovementioned details are included in all collective contracts. The developments in the sector, the increase in employment, extra salaries, training and re-training of employees. Working hours, assignment for each working position, working conditions, protection at work, having rights and equality of sexes. The great demand to be employed in banks as one of the most preferred institutions in our country, due to having some priorities over the other sectors, has resulted that in some cases the employees accept a greater burden of work for each job. The setting-up of the bank on a bank and company scale encounters difficulties particularly with the foreign banks, which have a tendency to hinder the organization of the trade-union. .

10. Which are the most important experiences that your unions have
gained from social dialogue in the sector? Which of them would you identify as "good practice" ?

. The increase in employment, satisfactory salaries, good working
conditions, the decrease of informality . V. BASIC FACTS ON LABOUR RELATIONS IN THE BANKS

V1. Salaries

1. Is there a common scale of salaries of minimum wages for all bank
employees? □ xYes □ No If yes, please describe briefly its concept and its structure (scales of basic salary, allowances, increments). . Regarding the banking sector as well as the other sectors, it is compulsory that the ultimate salary of an employee should not be less than the minimal ultimate salary passed by Government decision. .
2. In each case please describe how salaries of bank employees are
determined (basic criteria of wages' configuration and development,
i.e. inflation, productivity, years of service/experience, position, skills
etc.).
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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. The review of salaries is carried out every year due to the inflation. This is particularly compulsory for the salaries, which are close to the approved minimal salary. The salary for each working position is determined according to the establishment in the collective agreement
3. The general increases provided to bank employees through the
sectoral collective agreements during the last five years were:
- □ x above the (official) inflation rate - □ at the same level with the inflation rate
4. At what level salaries of bank employees are agreed for their most
part? (mark X on the relevant case, one choice only)
□ sectoral level (through sectoral collective agreements) □ company level (through company collective agreements ) □x individual level (through individual agreement or with increases given Unilaterally by the Managements of the Bank)

5. What are according to your opinion the most serious disadvantages-
problems of the system of salaries in the banks? (please choose by order
of importance, rating 1-3 the 3 most important). □- sectoral collective agreement are not applied □- low salaries, comparing with other sectors, □- high inequalities – discrimination in salaries □x- lack of transparency – arbitrariness when determining salaries □- instability due to a large part of non-fixed salaries-bonuses among
6. Which are the most important advantages of the salaries' system in
the banks? (Please choose by order of importance, rating 1-3 the 3 most
important).
□- transparency and rules in determining salaries
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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□2- recognition of previous experience and required skills □1- flexibility and adaptability □3- each position is dully remunerated □- other? (what ?)
7. Do banks grant general-collective bonuses to the employees?
(Marx X on the most dominant system – 1 choice) □x- according to their total revenue □- according the achievement of measurable collective goals.
8. What percentage of bank employees approximately receive a bonus
collectively?
- in the total of professional and managerial staff □ No data available
9. Το what percentage approximately of the gross annual revenue
correspond the collective bonuses (mark next to your choice the estimated range of percentage, i.e. 10-25%).
10. Bank are granting individual bonuses to employees (mark X to the
most dominant system – 1 choice)
□- according to measurable individual targets (i.e. sales, loans etc.) □x- according to their annual assessment (Evaluation Sheet) □- according to other criteria (which?) . . . COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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11. What percentage approximately of bank employees receive
individual bonuses?
- in the total of professional & managerial staff? 100% □ No data available
12. Το what percentage approximately of the gross annual revenue
correspond the individual bonuses (mark next to your choice the
estimated range of percentage, i.e. 10-25%). - for the employees? 12% - for the managerial staff? 15% □ No data available
13. How are the annual salary increases in the banks normally given?
(mark X to the most dominant system – 1 choice) □- The management sets increases, independently of the sectoral collective agreements. □x- After that increases of the sectoral collective agreement have been agreed, the Managements gives extra increases from their part. □- After that increases of the sectoral collective agreement have been agreed, the union is negotiating a company agreement for the extra increases.
14. To its professional and managerial staff, each banks provides some
of the fol owing motives (mark 1,2,3,4, by order of important, wherever it applies). □ stock shares □1 participation in the profits □2 benefits in kind (please specify) …………. … High Salaries benefits in conditions rtc) □- Other (please identify) …………………………………………. COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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15. Most of the banks use systems of increase on the regular salaries
(salary increases) on the basis of the individual performance. (mark X on

□x Yes □ No
16. Which is the average gross monthly salary (mark, next to the question
the corresponding amount, approximately) .
Β) Of the professional / managerial staff 500 €
□ No data available
17. Which are the main 3 objectives of your federation for the bank
employees? (Please mention by order of importance)
a)… To increase the membership of the banking employees in trade-
unions …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… To continue increasing the salaries, training and re-qualification, to make possible that the employees can profit from the salary in nature …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… To reduce the work for each working position, to increase the number of employed people by including new elements in the collective contract
……………………………………………………………………………………………

V2. Working hours

1. The standard working hours in the banks are regulated (mark X on the
relevant case)
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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-□x by sectoral collective agreements -□ -□ is completely free

2. The standard banking hours in the banks are regulated
-□x by company collective agreements
-□ is completely free
3. What are the standards working and banking hours in the banks?
Α) Working hours:
.08.00 - 16.30
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4. Are there exceptions/ differentiations in the standard working and/or
banking hours? □ Yes □x No If yes, in what way are they defined? a)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… b)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… c)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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a)………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… b)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… c)………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… (If space is not enough you can attach a table or an additional text)
5. Which is the normal duration of the working day in the banks.?
- on annual basis is 2020 hour

-on monthly basis is 176 hour
-on everyday basis is 8 hour
6. Which are the normal days of rest in a week for the bank employees?
Saturday and Sunday

7. Is work on Saturdays allowed in the Banks?
□ Yes □x No
If yes, under what conditions / return?
a)… In cases of emergency is worked overtime beyond the normal working hours and is paid by +30% of the daily wage or is compensated with holidays …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… The security guards work on holidays as well and receive an extra wage no less than 30% plus the daily wage ……………………………………………………………………………………………
c)…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
8. Which are the basic regulations applied in the Banks, in reference
with:
- normal leaves (duration, increments, way of granting)
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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a)… normal leaves is 28 days in year …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… Annual leaves are granted on the request of the employees, mainly in summer and according to a compiled graph …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… The salary of the vacation time is given wholly …………………………………………………………………………………………… - holidays (number of days / year)? They are about 11 holydays in year
9. What is considered overtime work in the Banks, how is it regulated (by
law, individual agreement, sectoral collective agreement or other), how
is it approved /controlled and how is it remunerated in each case? (brief
description) . Overtime is considered the time beyond the normal working hours. The regulations for each working position are made according to work contracts and often by individual agreements. In all cases the employee profits more rights than those provisioned in the in the collective agreement in the bank or on a sector scale besides the individual agreement he/she might have with the employer. The trade-union commission and the trade-union attend their execution according to the level.
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10. Is there a maximum limit for overtime work per person per year?
□ Yes □x No

Is a limit time in day 2 hours and is limits 50 hours in weeks
11. How many hours of overtime work were implemented in the banks in
2005 (according to official data) and how many hours do you estimate
that were implemented in reality?
□x No data available
12. To how many employees did these hours of overtime work
correspond in the year 2005? (Mention separately the official data and
your own estimations, if any).
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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□x No data available
13. Is there a possibility of exchanging overtime work with free time?
□x Yes □ No
If yes, under what conditions?
. Overtime is compensated with a full holiday plus no less than 30% of the normal working hours. This is determined with the consent of the employee to take either a bonus to the salary or a holiday along with the extra time. The compensation form is designed in the collective contract. .
14. What percentage of employees in the banks is working in alternating
shifts?
Only security workers
□ No data available
15. In what places / services of the Banks mainly and under what
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16. The total real working time (daily, weekly, annually) of bank
employees during the last years (mark X, one choice only).
-□ is reducing
-□ is prolonging
-□x remains unchanged
-□ there is no clear picture
17. If it exists, the prolongation of working time of bank employees (mark
X, one choice only)
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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- □ is counterbalanced by extra benefits and allowances (moral,
material)
- □ as a rule it is not counterbalanced
- □ there is no clear picture
18. When was established the most recent reduction of working time in
the banks, to what extend and in what way (law, sectoral collective agreement, record of agreement, other)
. In 2003 the trade-unions proposed to establish by law that the weekly
working hours should be 40 hours. In addition this is also designed in the
collective contract.
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19. Which are the most important achievements of trade unions in the
banks in reference with working time which is nowadays threatened by
the employers (please mention briefly by order of importance) a)… Reduction of the weekly working hours from 48 to 40. ……………………………………………………………………………… b)… Extras in the payments of overtime hours no less than 30%S …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… d).
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20. Which are the most important claims of trade unions in the banks in
reference with working time? (please mention briefly by order of importance) a)… Reduction of the weekly working hours from 40 to 39 …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… Extras for overtime hours + 50% of the daily wage …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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V3. Employees’ participation

1. Are there bilateral sectoral committees for discussion- settlement of
issues concerning bank employees ? □x Yes □ No If yes, which one and with what issues do they deal? a)… There are some sector commissions that reach the level of the Ministry of Labor with its representatives of employees and employers. FSTBSH is represented in these commissions as a member of the National Labor Council …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… Agreements are reached only between employers and employees according to the proposals of the respective parties .………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… The trade-unions have proposed to establish the Regional Councils of Labor, in order to cover issues regarding working relations on a base and regional (prefecture) scale ………………………………………………………………………………
(if space is not enough, please attach a table with the types of the
committees, their composition and their competences)
2. Are there bilateral committees at company level in the Banks?
□ Yes □x No
If yes, which are the most common and with what issues do they deal)
a)………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… b)………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… c)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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3. The evaluation systems applied in the banks in general …. (mark X on
-□x are negotiated between the company and the employees’ representatives. -□ the company designs them and informs properly the employees for their criteria and their processes -□ are unknown as far as criteria and processes are concerned, even to the employees’ representatives. -□ there are no evaluation systems applied. Senior staff judge their subordinates according to their personal opinion.

4. Which are the most important experiences that trade unions of your
sector have gained from their action and their interventions in issues of
training, evaluation performance and career development of the employees? Among them are there any that you could define as “good practice”? . Restructure and privatization of the banking sector in Albania required that bank employees be involved in professional qualifications to face the challenges of changes, technology, services, etc. FSTBSH has conducted a highly effective work regarding the professional of employees. 285 employees have been trained to acquire the professional ability through seminars. Some of these employees are part of the leading staff of banks. This fact has influenced in assessing the work of the trade-union and belief towards it. The best practices are the qualifications of employees supported by programs conducted in collaboration with OTOE, Foundation “Friedrich Ebert” etc
V4. Restructuring of companies
1. How widespread are in your sector…
α) .mergers and takeovers of banks?
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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-□ a little -□ not at all β) .outsourcing of business from banks toward third companies, in the -□x a little
-□ not at all
2. Which are the most important characteristics of mergers and take
overs in your sector? Please mention by order of importance. a)… liquidation and closing of the bank …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… full privatization …………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Which are the most important problems of the employees in your
sector arising from mergers and take-overs? Please mention by order of importance. a) … Redundancy of working post …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… taking a salary for a period no less than 6 months up to 1 year …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… re-training for a new job and re-employment ……………………………………………………………………………………………

4. What are unions of the sector doing for tackling those problems?
. The attention of trade-unions is concentrated on employing as soon as possible the employees made redundant. COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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.There have been long debates and in all the cases the employees made redundant have been treated with remuneration in salary up to 1 year, from the moment of leaving the job. .In addition, we have mediated in collaboration with the responsible institutions to re-employ and at the same time to include them in re- training programs in order to be involved in a new labor market
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5. Which are the most important experiences that unions in your sector
have gained from their action and their interventions on the issues of
mergers and take overs?
. All the employees that are made redundant have been treated for one year with a full salary. .Most of the employees are re-employed within the sector in the insurance companies. .Another category is included in re-training programs. .
6. Which are the most important characteristics of business outsourcing
from banks to third companies. Please mention by order of importance. a)………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… b)………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… c)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. Which are the 3 most important problems for the bank employees
arising from business outsourcing from the banks to third companies?
Please mention by order of importance.
a)…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
b)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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c)…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………

8. What are unions of the sector doing for tackling those problems?
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9. Please mention the most important experiences that unions in your
sector have gained from their action and their interventions on the issues of outsourcing business from the banks to third companies.
10. How do you consider that restructuring processes and labour
relations will be affected by a) the enlargement of the EU and b) the
.Regarding the so far developments, the banking sector is attractive and is expanding due to the fact that there have been only three banks in Albania. Nowadays, many banks have been established and so the number of the employed has increased. .Despite the opinions of the trade-union that Albania should have banks of a state capital to intervene in financial policies, actually all the banks are private and only two of them have a common capital and recently they are in fact in sale .The expected impacts particularly processes of globalization and technology, shall give a stop to this sector in the near future. In fact, there are forecast the sale and union of banks, despite the tendencies to be part of our market of new banks. .Expansion of UE by the Balkan countries and complete integration of the Albanian banking sector in EU shall have positive effects particularly regarding the services banking sector can provide. COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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.Other people shall remain unemployed due to the sale and union of banks.
V5. Facilitating employees with family obligations

1. Are there in the Banks categories of employees with family obligations
who are entitled to reduced working hours without reduction of salaries? If yes, which are the categories, on what kind of regulation are based (law, sectoral collective agreement) and under what conditions? .

2. Are there in the Banks categories of employees with family obligations
who are entitled to additional leaves (with or without salaries) ?
□x Yes □ No
If yes, which are the categories, on what kind of regulation are based (law, sectoral collective agreement) and under what conditions? .Regarding family joys, family calamities, etc. after the leave of giving birth, temporary incapacities, so all the cases are designated in the collective contract of work incomprising the lind of remuneration or is made by agreement between the employer and the employee, in case no collective agreement is compiled. .
3. Are there in the Banks categories of employees with family obligations
who are entitled to additional benefits? □ Yes □x No If yes, what kind of benefits, on what kind of regulation are based (law, sectoral collective agreement) and under what conditions? (mention only the most common benefits) . .
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COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
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V6. Various benefits to the employees

1. As a rule, banks have the infrastructure or are financing corresponding
costs of employees for … (mark X on the relevant case) -□ meals during working hours -□ childcare/kindergarten for employees’ children -□ summer camps/ summer holidays for the children of employees. -□ education expenses for the children of employees -□x education ‘expenses for the employees themselves -□x house loans -□ personal loans -□ cultural – sports activities of the unions -□ additional expenses for hospitalisation of the employees or members of their family -□ other (add any other important allowance)
2. Which are the most important experiences that unions in your sector
have gained from their action and their interventions on issues of
benefits to the employees? Are there any among them that you could identify as “good practice” ? .Granting credits by highly low interests to the employees. Many banks intervene to provide their employees with visas to spend their holidays in the EU countries also subsidezing the journey expenditures (foreign private banks).
.Excursions within Albania and abroad covered by the bank, etc.
.

V7. Equality issues
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
.
1. Are there regulations for equality in the sectoral collective
agreements for employees in the Banks?
a)… Equal payment for equal working positions …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… Participating in trainings having equal priorities …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… The collective agreements establish that the employer is prohibited from discrimination due to sex, race, religion, colour, backgound, etc
d).
.
2. What is the difference in % of average salaries between men and
women in the Banks?
.There are no accurate data, but the difference lies on the salary tha major directors are paid with (managers). In general, most of them are men working in banks .
3. Which are the 3 most important problems of discrimination in the
Banks? Please mention by order of importance.
a)… Men occupy the main leading positions (heads, managers) …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… position with a great amount of work and equal payment with the other positions ……………………………………………………………………………………………
c)…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
4. What are trade unions doing in order to promote solutions to the
above problems?
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
.
.Conduct the conversation with the employers regarding wualification of new employees, and reduction of the amount of work for each working position
5. Which are the most important experiences that unions in your sector
have gained from their action and their interventions on equality issues? Are there any among them that you could identify as “good practice” ? . Conduct the conversation with the employers and time after time make proposals for amendments in the law on work relations regarding its improvement and execution.in addition, it is being worked on the sample collective contracts regarding sectors and banks, in order to perfect the elements that improve the indicators of work as a whole, equality, freedom of involving in the trade-unions, etc. .Experience gained so far regarding qualification and particularly of youngsters has enabled that they occupy leading positions.
.

V8. Health and Safety at work.

1. Are there any accidents at the workplace declared / registered in the
Banks? □x Yes □ No If yes, please mark how many workplace accidents have been registered in the Banks (persons/year, including those related to hold-ups/robberies of banks) . Albania has experienced many difficult situations due to the closure of pyramid schemes in 1997 and war in Kosovo. During these events there have been no accurate data.
2. Among the bank employees suffered a workplace accident
registered in 2005, how many corresponded to:
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
.
temporary disability

3. Which il nesses would you characterize as main professional illnesses in
the Banks ? (please mention by order of importance) .
a)… Anxiety, spondeliatrosis
…………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… loss of sight …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………
4. Which ones among them have been officially recognized by the
corresponding insurance institutions as professional illnesses? (Please
mention by order of importance). a)………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… b)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… c)………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………
□x None of those ilnesses has been officially recognized
5. What was the ration between workplace doctors and security
technicians per 1000 employees in the Banks in 1990, 2000 and 2005 COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
.
□x No data available In Albania have family doctors
6. Are there Health and Safety Committees operating in the Banks?
□ Yes □x No
If yes, what percentage employees in the sector do they cover and how do you evaluate their action and the union participation in them? .
.
.
.
.
7. Which are to your opinion the 3 most important problems related with
health and safety issues in the Banks, including bank security? (please
mention and classify). a)…confrontation with the kil er …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… c)…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
8. What are trade unions doing in order to promote solutions to the
above problems? . the increase of security measures during the work in the bank and the .
.
.
9. Please mention the most important experiences that unions in your
sector have gained from their action and their interventions on Health
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
.
and Safety at Work and Bank Security issues. Are there any among them that you could identify as “good practice” ? .

VΙ. CLAIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE TRADE UNION
MOVEMENT IN THE SECTOR

1. Please mention, by order of importance the 3 most important
problems of employees in the Banks during the last 5 years a)… dismissal due to privatization or closure of banks …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… Sredundancy due to restructure of the bankink sector …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… Making the employees redundant due to the use of new technology and non-acknowledgement of these technologies by the old employees.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Please mention, by order of importance, the 3 most significant
sectoral achievements that are threatened nowadays
a)… Agreement with the Ministry of Economy
……………………………………………………………………………………………
b)… Agreement with the Council of Albanian Employers Organization …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Please mention, by order of importance the 3 most important
objectives of the trade unions in the banks for the next 5 years.
a)… Recruitmment of new bank employees in trade-union, equality between the young. Establishment of an information, communication and training center for the employees …………………………………………………………………………………………… COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
.
b)… Compilation and improvement of sector agreements and signing the collective agreements containing improved elements of work and social indicators …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… Porposals to improve the labor legislation through the studies and observations that the trade-union shall conduct, as well as participation in third commissions serving for this purpose ……………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Please mention, by order of importance, the 3 most important claims
for the sectoral collective agreement in the Banks.
a)… Signing the collective agreements in all the banks of the second
level …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)… Improving collective agreements which comprise more qualitative indicators despite those being present nowadays, as well as establishing permanent commissions regarding the indicators that relate to the elements of the collective agreement …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)… Maintaining the salary indicators and reviewing the inflation ……………………………………………………………………………………………

VII. SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUES

1. Please describe briefly the social security system applied in the Banks
(bodies, contributions, main and supplementary social security, age of
regular retirement, average pension, average age of retirement in pension, ratio pensioners /employees). .The retirement system in Albania is provisioned and regulated by law. It is provided that women retire at the age of 60 and having worked for 25 years, men retire at the age of 65 and having 35 uears of work. .Some banks pay a supplementary premium of 2% of the salary in order that the employees have a higher payment when retire. The trade- unions in col aboration with other social partners have conducted seminars and made proposals on the improvements that should be carried out in the retirement system. . COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
.
2. Additional social security programmes at company level are diffused
in the sector?
□ Yes □x No
If yes, pleas describe the degree of their diffusion and the allowances
that they usually cover.
.
3. Please name, by order of importance, the 3 most significant social
security achievements of the bank employees, which are threatened
today
a)…Increase of all pensions up to 10% and especially minimum ones up to 15-20% …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)…It is agreed with the Government for a new increase of the pensions at the beginning of next year …………………………………………………………………………………………… c)…Introduction of private companies in the field of pensions Futja e ……………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Please mention the most important experiences that unions in your
sector have gained from their action and their interventions on issues concerning social security of bank employees. Are there any among them that you could identify as “good practice” ? .If has been a continuous request of the trade unions on the revive of the pensions, which means the increase of pensions in general and their evaluation .
5. Please name, by order of importance, the 3 most important objectives
of the trade union movement on social security of bank employees. a)…the increase of pensions in general …………………………………………………………………………………………… b)…Enclosure in the insurance scheme of all employed persons according to the real wage and their contribution …………………………………………………………………………………………… COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
.
c)…The increase of pensions related to the paid contribution including the contributions for extra pensions ……………………………………………………………………………………………
P.S.
Soma dates in the bank sector

In term of the peer groups impact on the growth of the system assets
over 2005, an increase in the G3-large banks (peer group) is noticed by All 33.3 milliard , G2-medium banks by ALL 20.6 billion and G1-smoll banks by ALL 16.2 billion. The contributions of G3 banks, thought higher in absolute terms than two two other bank groups, is lower in relative terms (the growth in percentage compared to the previous year)meaning that the growth rate of this peer group’s assets has been lower than that of banks in the other peer groups. We underline that the downward trend of the contribution of largest banks to the system growth speaks for reduced concentration of the banking system assets. Shareholders equity of the system was increased by about ALL 7 milliard or 27% in comparison to end of 2004. Year 2005 highlight the highest contribution of the middle bank G2 to the shareholders equity of the system, by about ALL 5.9 billion, whereas the group of the large banks G3 recorded a rise of ALL 728 million and the group of small banks G1 At end of 2005 the shareholders equity structure of the system and the performance of its constituent items that contribute to capital levels are Reserves 4517.5 20.5 1432.9 4.3 Revaluation profit/loss The main element of the shareholders equity, the paid-in capital, has maintained the main weight (77%) of the shareholders equity of the COMPARATIVE INFORMATION FROM SECTORAL BANK EMPLOYEE UNIONS
.
system moreover it has recorded a rise of about 5% or All 5.8 billion more then at end 2004. There were nine banks in the system that increased the paid-in capital levels during the year, positively contributing to the system indicators. Capital reserves recorded a reduction by about ALL 1 billion, the profit of the period maintained the positive impact on the capital, while the debtor revaluation differences, in spite of a decline (by about ALL 1.2 billion), they continue to maintain the negative impact on the capital of the system.
Level of assets, deposits and loans as December 2005 (lek million)
Commercial 61,136.98 56,510.40 13,078.38 Total in all banks
496,561.49
432,960.41
127,056.37
Foreign capital dominates in the group of the large banks G3, with a weight of 100%. In the meantime, in the other groups – medium banks G2 and small banks G1- foreign capital exceeds 50%

Source: http://www.otoe.gr/Communicate/UplDocs/documents/OTOE_questionare_albania.pdf