Representatives from UGT, Alta, CGT, Intersindical, CIG and Hazel Y lab gathered this Tuesday in front of Banco Sabadell’s headquarters on Avenida Óscar Esplá in Alicante. The protest centers on working conditions employees face after the organizational changes announced by the bank. Some estimates indicate that about 3,400 jobs could be removed over a little more than a year, representing roughly 22 percent of the workforce.
The demonstrators also demand higher pay to offset rising inflation, pointing to the profits the financial sector is set to record thanks to higher interest rates. As the action took place, about 40 percent of Sabadell’s workforce was represented by the unions present, while CC OO, Federation and GBS frameworks opted to stay apart from the protest, forming the remaining portion of representation.
The platform behind the mobilization cites excessive workloads as a core grievance, noting that the exits agreed at the most recent ERE at the start of the year have already been completed. “We are seeing the same or more work with a much smaller staff,” explains a union coordinator. The unions emphasize that despite the bank promising reductions in staff through digitization, many customers are not yet served by new automated processes, and the workload simply shifts onto the remaining personnel.
Sources indicate the bank has assured employees that workforce reductions will be offset by digitization. Yet the organizers contend that the customer experience has not stabilized. No new digital workflows have been rolled out yet, so tasks stay with human operators and stress levels rise accordingly. This situation is framed as a preliminary step toward broader mobilization, with the aim of signaling that future action could escalate if management does not address the concerns raised by workers.
Finally, the protest highlights that Sabadell has seen gains in other areas, citing a 78 percent improvement connected to its subsidiary TSB and a reduction in operating costs. Nevertheless, union spokespeople accuse the organization of organizational chaos that harms employee health. They view Tuesday’s concentration as the opening act of a longer campaign that would include additional strikes if management fails to meet the unions’ demands.
On the wage front, the seven unions involved called for a salary increase aligned with the high inflation rate observed in recent months. They emphasize that a significant portion of the workforce has endured nearly a decade with stagnant pay. Many of these workers are former CAM employees who did not receive subsequent contractual raises. While Sabadell occasionally offers bonuses or temporary pay bumps in exchange for occupying specific roles, critics say these measures do not translate into lasting gains in base salaries. They argue that the business’s compensation approach should be more transparent and consistent across all employee groups. (Attribution: union organizers and participating associations)
For their part, Sabadell’s leadership has stated that it maintains an open line of dialogue with the unions with the goal of reaching agreements that benefit all parties. The bank asserts that it will continue to engage in discussions to find workable solutions while acknowledging the need to balance corporate performance with the welfare of its staff. (Attribution: Sabadell administration statements)