Concern for jobs in AIB UK subsidiaries

There is concern for the future of hundreds of bank staff at AIB's subsidaries in the North and the UK.

The sale of the First Trust Bank in the North and its UK outlets is expected to be raised at AIB's AGM in Dublin this morning.

Members of the Irish Bank Officials Association are to protest outside the meeting.

First Trust employs 1,500 staff in 48 branches throughout the North.

Larry Broderick of the Irish Bank Officials' Association said ordinary bank staff are paying a high price for the failures of others.

"The likelihood is that many bank officials will now find themselves being made redundant," Mr Broderick said.

"And as a consequence of that there will be a burden on the State.

"We believe staff are being forgotten about," he added. "The call is, that in the context of the future vision of Irish banking you cannot forget staff, you have to factor them in."

"We are talking about people and families, not about assets."