Union urges training to help bank clients

BANK staff need training to cope with the growing number of distressed customers struggling under huge financial pressure, the union representing bank workers urged last night.

Larry Broderick, general secretary of the Irish Bank Officials Association, said that since the onset of the banking crisis in 2008, staff have had to deal with many customers in varying states of distress over their financial circumstances — ranging from despair to anger. Sometimes staff also have to cope with verbal and even physical abuse.

“Staff have been largely left to their own devices in dealing with these extremely difficult situations — with little, if any, formal support from the institutions.”