BOI computer staff defer strike plans

Bank of Ireland's computer support staff have deferred their planned one-day strike after receiving compromise proposals from the bank's management.

Around 300 employees at the Bank of Ireland's ITSIS subsidiary were planning to go on strike tomorrow in protest at the bank's plans to "outsource" their jobs to the US computer firm Hewlett Packard.

The bank has signed a seven-year, €600m deal with Hewlett Packard, but the ITSIS workers have only been guaranteed employment with the computer firm for two years.

The workers are also concerned that the "outsourcing" of their jobs will affect their terms of employment.

The Irish Bank Officials Association said it would ballot its members over the coming 24 hours on the proposals put forward during talks with the Bank of Ireland and Hewlett Packard today.