**Title:** Union to Challenge Itau Unibanco Layoffs Amid Productivity Claims
**Meta Description:** A union plans to file a collective action for the reinstatement of Itau Unibanco employees dismissed for low productivity during remote work.
**URL Slug:** itau-unibanco-union-challenge-layoffs
**Headline:** Union Takes Action Against Itau Unibanco’s Dismissals Over Remote Work Productivity
In a significant move, a union representing bank employees in Sao Paulo has announced plans to file a collective action aimed at reinstating Itau Unibanco Holding SA workers who were recently terminated for alleged low productivity while working remotely. The union, Sindicato dos Bancários e Financiários de São Paulo, Osasco e Região, revealed that the majority of the layoffs—accounting for 99%—affected workers in Sao Paulo, as stated by union president Neiva Ribeiro during a press conference on Thursday.
The union estimates that approximately 1,000 employees were let go, although Itau has not publicly confirmed this figure. The bank’s decision to dismiss these employees followed a review of their remote work conduct and work hour records, which Itau claimed revealed patterns inconsistent with its principles of trust—principles the bank considers non-negotiable.
A representative from Itau declined to provide further comments, referring instead to a statement released earlier in the week. In that statement, Itau indicated that in the most severe cases, some dismissed employees had recorded work-from-home activity rates as low as 20% on certain days, despite logging additional hours. This contrasts sharply with the bank’s average activity rate of 75%.
According to Itau, the monitoring of digital activity was outlined in internal policy documents that employees had signed. Ribeiro criticized the bank’s actions, stating, “The bank created a metric and we don’t know what it is,” emphasizing that the dismissals have left the affected workers vulnerable. She also noted that the union was not informed in advance about the layoffs and that neither the union nor the dismissed employees had access to the monitoring results used to justify the terminations.
As this situation unfolds, the union’s collective action could have significant implications for both the employees involved and the broader banking sector in Brazil.
**FAQ Section:**
**Q: What prompted the union to take action against Itau Unibanco?**
A: The union is challenging the dismissal of employees for alleged low productivity during remote work, claiming the bank did not provide adequate notice or access to monitoring results used in the decision.