Bank staff in one-day strike as pension talks break down
The union Amicus is also warning of a second strike next week but the planned industrial actions will have minimal impact on customers. Amicus has proposed the bank should dispense with its decision to scrap the defined benefit scheme for employees who joined since October 1.
The union suggested those employees be given the option of choosing their pension scheme until the matter came before the Labour Court.
Representatives said they were willing to call off today’s strike if management would agree to bring discussions to the court.
However, after five hours of discussions, the union walked out saying that without any concession on that issue, it was not willing to remain in the negotiations.
“Bank of Ireland imposed a change in the early part of negotiations without going through the procedures agreed under company /employee procedures. We are not going to be bound by that change,” said Amicus’ regional officer Colm Quinlan.
Pickets will be placed on Bank of Ireland’s head office in Dublin’s Baggot Street and New Ireland Assurance on Dawson Street from 8.30am until 5.30pm today.
Amicus plans a further one-day stoppage on November 22.
Bank of Ireland last night said it was “dismayed” that the staff were to go ahead with the action adding that its decision to change the pension arrangements was “not a cost saving issue but about securing the future pension arrangements for all employees.”
It said the action would have minimal disruption to customers, and would have little financial impact as the work done by those on strike could be picked up at a later date. The bank said it was committed to providing market leading pensions for all of its employees.
“For 16,000 Bank of Ireland employees there is no change to their pension arrangements. New employees since October 1 are benefiting from an attractive new scheme that is demonstrably better than our main competitors in the Irish market, all of whom operate defined contribution schemes.”
Meanwhile, the Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA), which represents thousands of Bank of Ireland employees, yesterday pledged support to the protest by Amicus.
