KBC branch closures prompt union to seek early intervention

The Financial Services’ Union (FSU) is seeking an early conciliation meeting in a dispute with KBC Bank over its plans to close four branches.

FSU general secretary John O'Connell has written to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) saying the union is in dispute with the Belgian lender for failing to address workers' concerns at the planned closures.

The union said it was seeking an early conciliation meeting with the commission to save jobs and protect working conditions.

It has also written to KBC urging that it attend the WRC to begin immediate talks.

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“Earlier this month KBC announced that it was closing four of its 16 branches without prior consultation with its staff or the FSU,” said Mr O’Connell.

Remote working

The union subsequently sought to discuss workers’ concerns with the bank, including redeployment, protection of pay, remote working and redundancy terms.

“It is extremely disappointing that KBC have refused to engage with the FSU on these serious issues,” Mr O’Connell added.

The FSU said that KBC chief executive Peter Roebben highlighted the importance of its branch network to the Oireachtas committee on finance, public expenditure and reform, last year.

“I agree completely with the chief executive on the importance of the branch network. In the middle of a pandemic, the branch network has never been more important for people,” stated Mr O’Connell.

He noted that KBC had congratulated workers for their efforts in keeping services going during the pandemic. The FSU said that the bank was rewarding those workers with compulsory redundancies in one of the toughest years on record.