AIB to transfer 73 staff to HCL

State-owned bank AIB is to transfer 73 staff from its workplace and collaboration services division to HCL, an IT and software development company, from June 1st.

The affected staff, who are based primarily in Dublin and Belfast, are engaged in the running of desktops and software for the bank.

According to AIB, the decision to transfer the staff was taken as part of the bank's overall strategy of "introducing new productivity tools to the bank on the most commercial terms" as part of its efforts to return to full sustainability over time.

In a statement the bank said that "outsourcing of certain functions will continue to be considered where it makes commercial sense to do so both in terms of reducing costs and in enabling the business strategy".