Hole-in-the-wall machines, cash withdrawals and foreign-exchange transactions at banks and building societies will be disrupted today due to a one-day strike by cash-in-transit workers employed by the three security firms which provide the service across the State.
The strike means that there will be no cash collections from the commercial sector and no deliveries to the banks.
But more serious disruption is expected in coming weeks if the 350 cash-in-transit operators fail to reach agreement with their employers on pay and working conditions.
Members of SIPTU intend to escalate their action with plans in place for a two-day strike next week on March 9th and 10th followed by a full-scale strike from March 20th.
Any escalation of the dispute would result in widespread disruption of all cash-based businesses and services. Deliveries of cash to An Post for socialwelfare payments would be disrupted. Commercial operations such as large stores would face major security problems as cash holdings mounted. The supply of cash in ATM dispensers could run out. And banks and building societies may not be able to supply customers with cash and foreign currency.
ATM machines are serviced and replenished by the cash-intransit operators who provide the service seven days a week, according to SIPTU branch secretary Mr Kevin McMahon.
Mr John Blunden of the Irish Payment Services Organisation, part of the Irish Bankers' Federation, said that ATMs located "off-site" (not in bank branches) would be affected first. These cash dispensers account for about 30 per cent of the 1,200 ATMs Statewide. But if the cash supplies to the banks stopped, branch ATMs would be affected, especially because these machines needed to be filled with clean "ATM-fit" notes.
About 360,000 ATM transactions worth a total of £19.2 million (€24.38 million) take place each day, with average transactions per machine per day of £16,000.
Pickets will be placed today at Securicor bases throughout the State, Allied Brink's bases in Dublin, Cork and Limerick and CP Security bases in Dublin and Cork. The dispute between the operators and their employers follows a claim a year ago for an increase in hourly rates and an improvement in working conditions. Attempts to settle the dispute through normal industrial relations procedures have been exhausted, according to Mr McMahon. The drivers overwhelmingly rejected a Labour Court recommendation and voted 17 to one for strike action, he said. The outcome of the ballot showed the deep anger and frustration of the drivers over the rates of pay and long, unsafe working hours with drivers working up to 70 hours a week, he said.
Mr McMahon said operators with Securicor, the largest of the three firms, were paid £5.55 per hour while some of the retail users of the service have had to increase their hourly rates to £7 per hour to keep staff.
The operators want an increase of £1.50 per hour, which they claim would be funded by productivity concessions. In addition, they want an immediate interim payment of £1 per hour in recognition of past productivity concessions which they suggest should be funded by passing on the increased cost to the users of the service. Users were getting a quality service "at rock-bottom prices", Mr McMahon argued. Two of the companies - Securicor with 230 to 250 employees and Allied Brinks with 70 employees - have offered increases worth about £1.50 per hour, while there has been no offer from CP Security, he said. Representing the employers, an IBEC spokeswoman described the strike as "unfortunate".
