Five hundred members of SIPTU have voted for industrial action at ACC Bank.
Their branch secretary, Mr John Swift, said members had done so because the company had refused to guarantee there would be no changes in work practices while negotiations took place on a change agenda. The negotiations are taking place in the context of the planned privatisation of the bank.
Plans for a merger with the TSB before privatisation broke down earlier this year, partly because of the difficult industrial relations climate. Mr Swift said SIPTU was likely to sanction industrial action quickly and he expected strike notice to be served within the next two weeks.