Pressure on Aviva to list where cuts will be made

AVIVA management will come under fresh pressure today to reveal from which parts of its Irish operations it intends to get rid of up to 950 staff.

At a meeting with worker representatives and the UNITE trade union, management will be told that a ballot for industrial action up to and including strikes will begin this evening.

“We will be letting them know the fury and determination of staff throughout the country,” said Brian Gallagher, regional officer with UNITE, which represents 1,000 of the insurer’s staff.

Mr Gallagher said the first item on the agenda — as far as the union is concerned — will be pinpointing what areas of the business the job losses will apply to, so that he can prepare his members accordingly. However, he is not hopeful that the information will be forthcoming.

In the past week since Aviva announced plans to get rid of half its workforce, UNITE has been holding briefings with staff across the country. The last of those took place in Portlaoise last night.

“Every meeting we have held since the news broke last Wednesday has voted unanimously to ballot for industrial action in defence of their jobs, and voted motions of no confidence in management,” said Mr Gallagher.

“We will advise that the ballot will commence throughout Aviva locations in Ireland within 24 hours, and that any attempt to begin preparing for movement of roles in advance of an agreement will be strongly resisted.”

He said Aviva had looked upon Ireland as a small part of its global empire, one that was expendable.

“The Irish workforce will not allow the destruction of their jobs and the placing in extreme jeopardy of a business built up over 100 years and which made over €30 million profit in the first half of the year.”

Meanwhile, banking union, IBOA, yesterday rejected reports that the Department of Finance quashed a deal agreed by Bank of Ireland and the union on voluntary severance terms for departing staff.

IBOA said both sides have accepted the recommendation of independent mediator, Mark Connaughton SC, on modified redundancy terms for staff who are expected to depart from the bank over the next 15 months.

Departing staff are to receive four weeks’ pay per year of service plus statutory entitlements of two weeks’ pay per year of service.