Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Jobs Willie O’Dea has expressed his concern at reports of potentially hundreds of job losses at Ulster Bank.
Deputy O’Dea said: “We have known of the dangers facing workers in the banking sector as banks downsize their operations but the number of job losses being speculated here, 500, is very high, especially when Ulster Bank already cut its workforce by 1000 in 2009. These are the ordinary workers in our local banks who had no part to play in causing the banking crisis.
“At the time job losses were announced at Aviva in October I called on Minister Bruton to meet with employers in sectors of the economy where jobs are vulnerable. I believed the issues affecting Aviva could easily impact on other insurance companies. Similarly job losses in the financial services industry have in prospect for the last number of years and many jobs have been lost already. Again I am calling on the Minister to engage with representatives of sectors of the economy that are under threat so that appropriate notice can be given to workers and so that Government can prepare for any arrangements that need to be put in place to support workers in getting new employment or retraining.
“I am also urging Ulster Bank to engage fully with workers and their union representatives. If redundancies are to be announced this should be done in consultation and co-operation with staff and unions.”