Staff at the Central Bank and Financial Regulator will strike on Friday, three days after public sector workers staged a one-day stoppage in protest against Government plans to cut pay.
The Central Bank said it had been served notice by the Unite trade union of a one-day strike.
Unite said it would place pickets on the Central Bank on Dame Street, Dublin, the Office of the Financial Regulator on College Green and the Currency Centre in Sandyford.
Unite, which represents 600 staff, said the strike is “being taken in frustration at management’s withdrawal from negotiations over employment contracts”. It said the bank was in breach of existing agreements and is “a rebuke” to the Labour Relations Commission.
Unite regional officer Brian Gallagher said the bank's "poor treatment of the staff has come despite their working harder than ever to deal with the consequences of inadequate regulatory decisions taken by the regulator and irresponsible practices undertaken by Irish banks".
The bank said its office and the Financial Regulator's consumer information centre will not be open on Friday. It said consumers with personal finance queries can still contact the helpline on 1890 777 777 and access information from the website www.itsyourmoney.ie.
Unions estimated that more than 250,000 public sectors workers joined the picket lines yesterday. Ictu's public services committee warned a second day of industrial action would take place on December 3rd if talks with the Government failed to produce an agreed alternative.