Temporary staff plan to ease banks' euro workload

Banks plan to bring in temporary staff to handle the workload that will be caused by the euro changeover in January.

The move is seen by the Irish Bank Officials' Association (IBOA) as an attempt to counter its campaign for significant compensation for extra work.

IBOA general secretary Mr Larry Broderick said yesterday he had no objections to extra staff but they should be recruited on a permanent basis and this should be combined with a pay review.

He was speaking after an IBOA executive meeting where it was decided to seek agreements with the associated banks on job security, pay, staffing, health and safety, training, and security.

But it is in the area of payment for the anticipated extra workload and the introduction of temporary staff that both sides are most likely to clash.

SIPTU, which represents manual grades in the banks and cash-in-transit staff with the main security firms, also wants "full consultation" on euro conversion, as well as training and compensation for members "required to take on additional responsibility and workload".

Mr Broderick said he hoped to meet with SIPTU and MSF, the other main financial services union, to plan a co-ordinated industrial relations strategy. Bank of Ireland's director of corporate affairs, Mr David Holden, said it planned to bring in about 300 temporary staff to deal with the extra workload. The bank had already begun discussions with the IBOA on issues such as health and safety, and security.

Bank of Ireland, AIB and Ulster Bank have given presentations to the IBOA executive on the implications of the euro changeover in the past couple of weeks. It is understood the signals sent out in response to questions on additional payments were "quite negative".

Banking management feels the impact of the changeover on most staff will be minimal and anyone required to work overtime will be paid accordingly.

However, many staff have been asked not to seek holiday leave or undertake courses that would limit their availability for work over the Christmas period.