BoI ordered to allow all employees join old pension scheme

The Labour Court has ordered Bank of Ireland (BoI) to allow all staff members to join its defined-benefit pension scheme.

The bank decided last October to limit the scheme to existing workers and to force all new employees to join a separate "hybrid" scheme.

The Amicus trade union, which represents several hundred BoI staff, took a case to the Labour Court in relation to the matter and the court today ruled in favour of the union.

The decision means that all of the bank's staff must be allowed join the defined-benefit scheme pending negotiations between the two sides on any changes that management wants to introduce.

Amicus and the Irish Bank Officials Association, which represents the majority of BoI workers, have both welcomed the outcome.