Bank union fears for 200 IT jobs

FINANCE union IBOA has claimed the employment of 200 information technology staff working on the Bank of Ireland contract at Hewlett Packard may be in jeopardy after the bank confirmed it would not renew the contract with HP when it expires early next year.

IBOA general secretary Larry Broderick said his members were concerned that regardless of which of the two remaining companies — HCL and IBM — eventually wins the competition for the contract, it may be decided to reduce staff numbers in Ireland by exporting work abroad.

“While our members would normally expect to transfer with the work — as they did when the work was originally contracted out of Bank of Ireland, they are seriously concerned that the new contractor may opt to use workers based overseas in low-cost economies,” said Mr Broderick. “We believe there is a very important issue of public policy at stake here. The Irish taxpayers have made a considerable commitment at an extremely difficult time in order to support Bank of Ireland through its current crisis. It would be an unacceptable display of ingratitude if the bank were to repay that support by contriving to export highly skilled work out of this country at a time of mass unemployment.”

He said the work undertaken by IBOA members in HP on behalf of the bank was the knowledge and technology-based initiatives that should be at the heart of the “smart economy.”

“Yet, it seems that a major financial institution in which the state is a major stakeholder may now be considering allowing a significant number of highly skilled jobs to disappear.”

The IBOA has called on management of Bank of Ireland and Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keeffe to meet with the union to ensure appropriate commitments are in place to protect job numbers as well as the pay and terms and conditions of employment of the affected staff.

A bank spokeswoman said: “A decision has now been taken to proceed with a shortlist of two suppliers, IBM and HCL, to the next stage of the competitive process, which is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

“As a result, Bank of Ireland will not be progressing further with HP as part of this process. As is normal and appropriate, the bank will however continue to work with HP under the existing contract.”