 HSBC says the action will not disrupt its major services |
The first strike at a UK High Street bank in eight years is to go ahead, after talks between trade union Amicus and HSBC broke down. Amicus says the one-day action, due on Friday, 27 May, will cause major disruption and branch closures.
The walk-out is in protest at a pay deal which, the union says, will lead to a wage cut for thousands of workers.
Amicus expects 9,500 workers to take action, on the same day as the bank's annual meeting.
The bank has said that it expects cash machines, telephone and online banking and major branches to be unaffected.
Pay problems
The dispute is over what unions say are inadequate pay arrangements at the bank.
According to Amicus, 55% of British HSBC workers covered by its pay negotiations got no salary rise or an increase below inflation this year.
Tensions at HSBC have been on the rise since a wave of austerity, which has cost 3,500 jobs since the beginning of last year.
Lloyds TSB, a High Street rival to HSBC, is also in the firing line for industrial action: workers there are due to vote on a strike in the coming weeks.
One-Minute World News 
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