Senior officials from the Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA) will seek meetings with all the major banks over the next number of weeks in a bid to implement an action plan to combat growing stress in the workplace.

On the second day of the IBOA's special delegate conference in Limerick yesterday, general secretary, Larry Broderick said: "Numerous delegates have highlighted a significant increase in levels of stress in the financial services industry and, in particular, the intense pressure on staff to sell more and more products.

"Delegates identified that this pressure for more sales and profit at the expense of good quality service to the customer has accelerated in recent years.

"The onus of responsibility is on the companies concerned to reduce levels of stress and provide all necessary support services for staff."

Mr Broderick said that the recent high profile scandals in the banks has resulted in customers aiming justifiable anger at the banks - but it is the employees at the counter dealing with customers that bear the brunt of this abuse.

He said: "Staff should not be under this pressure and we will be seeking meetings with all the banks over the next number of weeks to implement our action plan."

Expressing her frustration on growing levels of stress at work, delegate Mary Sexton told the conference her banking employer "has got where they are by putting unbelievable pressure on their staff to sell virtually everything up to and including the kitchen sink and squeezing every last bit out of their staff".

"This has led to two things: a highly profitable bank but also a demoralised workforce."

Ms Sexton said increasing numbers of staff were leaving "due to stress-related illness and quite simply can't see a career for themselves in modern banking".