|
|
 |
 |
|
| |
|
| |
Lauris Zubulis is Legal Counsel at Nordea Bank's head office in the Latvian capital of Riga.
He is 28 and therefore a typical representative of the young, well-educated personnel that make up the majority of the workforce at the bank.
"The biggest difference between the Nordic countries and the Baltic countries is probably that our employees are much younger," he says.
Some 75 per cent of the Latvian personnel are under 30 years of age. Only 10 per cent are over 40. Between 80 and 90 per cent have a higher education.
"The bank is still expanding. Over the last few years we have grown by 20-30 per cent per year," says Lauris, who began working at what was then Merita five and a half years ago.
At present, Nordea has approximately 170 employees in Latvia and plans to increase this figure to just over 200 in the course of 2005. Almost all the employees, 95 per cent, work in Riga. About two-thirds of the workforce are women, but there is an equal division between the genders at the management level.
No trade unions
Lauris Zubulis says that communication between managers and their staff works well. Many of the managers are young and have risen within the bank over a short period of time.
When Lauris was elected to represent the personnel at the Nordea trade unions' seminar on European Companies, his manger encouraged him to bring back good ideas on how to identify and assimilate the wishes of the employees.
It seems, therefore, that the desire exists, but no formal system for this is in place as yet.
"We have no trade unions, no agreements and no employee influence," is how Lauris sums up the situation. He adds:
"All this lies before us."
He believes, however, that it will be some time before there is a trade union at Nordea in Latvia. The term trade union still has an unpleasant ring to it thanks to the Soviet era. This is why Lauris believes it may be difficult to convince his colleagues that a trade union is needed.
"We are young and have no tradition of struggling for trade union rights. A trade union may be a good tool for achieving influence, but to start with it may be better to create a simpler and less formal system. Perhaps the employees could elect a group of representatives who would meet the management and put forward their views."
Personnel fairly satisfied
According to the bank's latest employment satisfaction index, the personnel in Latvia are largely satisfied with their working conditions, although there are of course suggestions for improvements, for example common rules on flexible working hours for all the branch offices.
Pay is a matter between the individual employee and his or her manager. Lauris points out that the best opportunity employees have for influencing pay is when they are first employed, after this an individual employee does not have a lot of power.
If Nordea becomes a European Company, the non-Nordic personnel may get employee influence "thrown in".
"Yes, this is what we hope, but a lot of issues remain to be resolved before we know whether this will be the case."
As far as the bank is concerned, Lauris Zubulis believes that acquiring the status of a European Company may lead to less administration, lower costs and, in the longer term, increased profitability.
"But this is mostly a theoretical discussion. I don't think anyone is clear about what the practical consequences will be as yet," he says.
Bengt Rolfer
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Printable version
