1,100 Irish Life staff down tools in pay row

More than 1,100 staff at Irish Life downed tools on Thursday over pay issues at the insurer.

The staff, represented by Unite trade union, say the company is pressing ahead with plans to implement a new pay model which the union says “breaks the link between pay and profits”.

Workers “swiped out” of work at 12pm and were to return at 2pm in the second of four planned two-hour stoppages staged by staff members.

“The company has refused to engage meaningfully and attend the Labour Court in respect of all its workers,” Unite said in a statement.

In a ballot earlier this year, 92 per cent of Unite members voted in favour of industrial action in the event of the company proceeding with changes to the pay structure.

Pickets will be set up in Dundalk, Co Louth, as well as in Dublin at: Irish Life main entrance, Lower Abbey Street; Abbey Court entrance; Irish Life Investment Management entrance; Marlborough Street entrance and the staff car park entrance.

The first two-hour stoppage took place on Thursday, November 5th, with further stoppages planned for next week and the week after.

The union claimed the new pay model would result in nearly three-quarters of workers receiving no pay increase for the foreseeable future, regardless of inflation or company profits.

“Not only will our members not know from one year to the next whether they can expect a pay increase – nearly three-quarters of them already know that, under this model, they will receive no pay increase for the foreseeable future,” Unite regional officer Maeve Brehony said.

In a statement, Irish Life said extensive talks had taken place with Unite on a Labour Court recommendation made last year on moving from an incremental pay model to a new performance based salary structure for clerical staff but regrettably an agreement had not been reached.

“We are very disappointed that Unite has now decided to take the route of industrial action without putting the Company’s final offer to a ballot of its members,” Irish Life said, adding that it remains committed to resolving these matters.