On 11 April 2013, Brazilian workers at the Santander Group delayed the opening of branches in protest against dismissals, job rotations, excessive targets and harassment and to press for better health, security and working conditions, as well as equal opportunities and the acknowledgement of retired workers.
This action was part of the National Day of Action during which a series of protests took place throughout the country, condemning certain banking practices that are damaging to banking workers and have repercussions on the levels of customer service.
In response, Santander brought a case claiming moral damages against the Sindicato dos Bancários e Financiários de São Paulo, Osasco e Região, the Federação dos Trabalhadores em Empresas de Crédito de São Paulo (FETEC/SP) and the Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores no Ramo Financeiro (CONTRAF), alleging that the actions of these organisations had caused “irreparable damage to Santander’s image (…) bordering on barbarity”, to quote the terms used in the legal action.
The bank employed the strategy of bringing an issue before the courts that should be addressed in the workplace. CONTRAF commented that this type of anti-trade union practice had been used by the financial institution in 2011 in an attempt to intimidate workers’ representatives.