Ulster Bank redundancy talks to begin today

Talks between trade union representatives and management at Ulster Bank get underway later.

Yesterday the bank confirmed it is to let go 600 workers in the Republic and a further 350 in the North.

It is the second wave of redundancies at the bank after 1,000 people were let go in 2009. The Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA) has described the scale of this round of cuts as "breathtaking".

IBOA representatives are meeting with management today to discuss the terms of the redundancy on offer, and the union said it will aim to protect as many jobs as possible.

It also wants the cuts to be on a voluntary basis. However Ulster Bank has said it can't rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies.