AIB in deal on labour relations

AIB has struck a deal with its main union to improve staff relations and develop a partnership approach to problem-solving.

The bank said yesterday it would work more closely with the Irish Bank Officials’ Association (IBOA) and end the confrontational approach that was considered standard industrial relations practice in the past.

AIB chief executive Eugene Sheehy said there were “clear benefits” for both the bank and the union in working together and that the new process would improve an already successful model.

“AIB is fully committed to making the traditional adversarial approach to staff relations a thing of the past,” he said. “This will build on the success already achieved and further strengthen the importance of partnership as being fundamental to the way AIB and the IBOA work together in the future.”

IBOA general secretary Larry Broderick said the new agreement would build on a set of principles already developed by both sides and would allow the union to work with the bank in resolving strategic issues related to change management.

“Both AIB and IBOA have shared goals but there are times when we can also have different, though not necessarily conflicting, interests,” he said.

The deal was brokered by former Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) general secretary Peter Cassells, who said the bank and the union had made significant progress on staff relations and the new deal would bring further improvement.