The bank officials' union, IBOA, is to seek increases of 10 per cent over two years in the forthcoming national pay talks.
The union is also to look for a new local bargaining clause under which unions could negotiate for additional increases in areas where there had been major change, improved productivity and modernisation in the private and public sectors.
IBOA is also to seek a new procedure that would prevent employers from unilaterally closing defined-benefit pension schemes and replacing them with defined-contribution schemes in which the employee carries a greater share of the risk.
The union is also seeking a new legislative framework to provide trade unions with collective bargaining rights which trade unions argue have been weakened significantly as a result of a Supreme Court ruling last year in a case brought by Ryanair.
IBOA is the first union to publicly propose actual percentage increases to be sought as part of any new national agreement.
It will bring these proposals to the executive of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
It said that it would evaluate any outcome from the forthcoming national talks against its demands.
General secretary Larry Broderick said it was only reasonable that members should receive a double-digit increase over the next two years to compensate them for inflation and to recognise their contribution to the growth of the Irish economy.
"On the pay front our members were barely compensated for inflation over the last 27 months and witnessed substantial economic growth, increased profitability in our industry and senior management awarding themselves pay increases and bonuses in excess of the national pay terms," he said.
Mr Broderick said that the proposed local bargaining or "value-added clause" in any new deal would require all employers, including the Government, to negotiate change with unions in the public and private sectors and share in the gains achieved.
Mr Broderick suggested that such a new local bargaining clause could be used by public sector unions as a means of facilitating change in the public sector "now that benchmarking has outlived its usefulness".
He also said that trade union recognition was becoming a major issue, not just for IBOA but for unions generally.
He said the Supreme Court decision had done "irreparable damage" to legislation in this area. "Government and employers cannot have it both ways, and if they are prepared to collectively engage with us at national level, a legislative framework needs to be put in place at company level, to give unions the right to collectively negotiate.
"This is a fundamental issue which has to be addressed, if the concept of social partnership has any relevance in the future."
He said the union would seek new mechanisms to protect defined-benefit pension schemes which were being closed by employers and replaced with defined-contribution schemes.
