Up to 500 employees are to picket Bank of Ireland offices in Dublin tomorrow in an attempt to force the bank to accept a Labour Court recommendation on pay.
Bank of Ireland Life and New Ireland Assurance staff who are members of the trade union Unite will hold pickets on the Bank of Ireland head office in Baggot Street and at the offices of New Ireland Assurance on Dawson Street.
The union says the group of staff involved, most of whom are on salaries of less than €30,000, have taken a decrease in salary of 12 per cent this year due to the non-payment of company-related performance payments.
A Bank of Ireland spokeswoman refuted this claim and said: "No salary decreases have been implemented. The first part of the claim relates to the cost of living and we are in a sustained period of deflation."
“The second part of the claim is dependent on discretionary bonuses, none of which have been paid to any staff member throughout the group this year due to the exceptionally challenging business environment and company performance”.
She added the bank was disappointed the union was proceeding with industrial action tomorrow said the bank believed maintaining appropriate pay rates was the correct interpretation of the Labour Court decision.
The financial institution has paid increases to most staff due under the national wage agreement. However, the group involved in the picket is covered under a separate agreement and has been since 2001.
The Labour Court last month made a recommendation on agreed merit based payments to staff. However Bank of Ireland has yet to implement the recommendation, and strike notice was served on the bank last week.
The union said the bank's failure to implement the Labour Court recommendation was "completely unacceptable".
"The arguments put by both sides were heard by the Labour Court. Its clear recommendation was that the bank should honour its agreement and engage with staff on payment of personal performance increases. No such engagement has taken place," said Unite regional officer Colm Quinlan.
"The Taoiseach speaking in the last fortnight was unequivocal that all sides should adhere to the Labour Relations instruments of the state. We have written to the Minister of Finance today, bringing to government attention that the Bank of Ireland, despite being in receipt of unprecedented state support is ignoring his call."
The union warned that action may escalate.
"We have not yet escalated the dispute by calling for other staff to honour our pickets but they realise that if the Bank is allowed to act with complete disregard for agreed procedures, and is willing to ignore the state's own Labour Court recommendation then the long term future for staff relations is bleak," said Mr Quinlan.
