Trade union vows to save 750 jobs and fight bank’s ‘crazy’ move

THE UNITE trade union has said it will fight to save the 750 jobs due to be lost later this year at Halifax Ireland and still sees the bank’s inclusion in a third force of Irish banking as a possibility.

UNITE’s regional officer, Brian Gallagher, called Bank of Scotland Ireland’s (BoSI) decision to close its retail banking business “a crazy, wrong-headed decision, likely borne of a London boardroom that has no sense of the strong future which the bank can have”.

The closures, starting in May, will result in the loss of roughly half of the group’s total 1,600 workforce, with 850 people due to remain in BoSI’s business banking division.

“We will not give up on these jobs, they are too important for the country as a whole for the Government to allow them slide away,” he added.

BoSI later explained that the Irish management came up with the decision – rather than the ultimate parent company, the Lloyds Banking Group – after a review found that the loss-making Halifax didn’t have a viable future in the current challenging Irish market.

Earlier this week, UNITE published a report showing that BoSI would be an “invaluable component” of a third banking force, set to feature the likes of Permanent TSB, the EBS Building Society and Irish Nationwide Building Society and, yesterday, called on Finance Minister Brian Lenihan to use his influence to help this to happen.

Mr Gallagher said the union has not given up on this prospect.

However, BoSI chief executive, Joe Higgins said that all options had been looked at regarding the possible survival of Halifax Ireland, prior to the decision being made.

Meanwhile, Bernard Daly, secretary of UNITE’s representatives within BoSI said: “Our workforce is made up of partners; of people who left secure jobs on the promise of a long stable future, and of many returning sons and daughters who took the opportunity to return to Ireland and reunite their families. There is a huge human cost to the announcement.”

Regarding BoSI’s decision to revert its focus solely on business banking in the future, Mr Higgins said: “Corporate and commercial banking is a significant and established business for the bank.

“It’s our greatest area of expertise and one which has a deep anddeveloped customer base.

“To focus on this business is the right strategy for the company and all stakeholders.”