AIB staff cars row may go to LRC

A group of bank workers are claiming they are being unfairly treated by AIB’s proposed move to remove their company cars.

As part of a cost-cutting measure, AIB is proposing that the bank’s financial planning consultants no longer have functional cars.

The move is being strenuously resisted by the Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA) and before the Labour Court, AIB has argued that the role of the financial planning consultant has changed immensely and the majority of consultants are now branch-based or at the very most are required to travel between two branches, if at all.

The bank told the court that the decision to remove the functional cars was taken following a cost benefit analysis carried out in order to reduce overhead costs.

The bank also contended that there is no financial loss suffered by any financial planning consultant as a result of the removal of the functional car.

However, on behalf of the consultants, the IBOA has argued that the functional car is an essential element of the financial planning consultant role as they are required to be mobile.

The union also contended that the functional car is a contractual entitlement and cannot be removed unilaterally by AIB.

In its submission before the Labour Court, the IBOA claims that AIB’s “unilateral attempt to terminate the contractual provision of functional cars to financial planning consultants has a very serious negative impact on the overall remuneration for our members in this role”, adding that consultants have already contributed to the savings required in a number of ways.

In response to arguments made by both sides, the Labour Court has recommended that both parties would benefit from further engagement with the assistance of the Labour Relations Commission, if necessary, with a view to reaching agreement on the substantive issues.

A spokeswoman for AIB would only say yesterday: “AIB has received a recommendation from the Labour Court and is now considering this recommendation.”